About
Gyula Illyés (1902-1983) was a major figure in 20th-century Hungarian literature. Born into a poor peasant family, he became involved in left-wing politics and went into exile in 1921, living in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, where he studied at the Sorbonne and associated with surrealists. Returning to Hungary in 1926, he joined the editorial board of the influential journal Nyugat, which he later edited. His work, marked by deep humanism, explores peasant life, national history, and the struggle against tyranny. His poem 'One Sentence on Tyranny' (1950), published during the 1956 revolution, became a symbol of resistance. He was awarded the Kossuth Prize in 1953.
* 1902-11-02 — † 1983-04-15
Major works
- Nehéz föld (1928)poetry collection
- Puszták népe (1936)sociological novel
- Petőfi (1936)biography
- Egy mondat a zsarnokságról (1950)poem
- Fáklyaláng (1952)play
Key milestones
- 1921Went into exile due to left-wing political involvement, living in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris.
- 1926Returned to Hungary and joined the editorial circle of the journal Nyugat.
- 1956His poem 'One Sentence on Tyranny' was published during the Hungarian Revolution, becoming an emblematic work.
Themes
peasant lifetyranny and freedomnational identityHungarian historyhumanism
Sources: britannica.com · pim.hu