Magda Szabó

This article is about the Hungarian writer. For the Canadian miniaturist, see Magda Szabo.

Magda Szabó (October 5, 1917 – November 19, 2007) was a Hungarian writer, arguably Hungary's foremost woman novelist. She also wrote dramas, essays, studies, memories and poetry.

Born in Debrecen, Szabó graduated at the University of Debrecen as a teacher of Latin and of Hungarian. She started working as a teacher in a Calvinist all-girl school in Debrecen and Hódmezővásárhely. Between 1945 and 1949 she was working in the Ministry of Religion and Education. She married the writer and translator Tibor Szobotka in 1947.

She began her writing career as a poet, publishing her first book Bárány ("Lamb") in 1947, which was followed by Vissza az emberig ("Back to the Human") in 1949. In 1949 she was awarded the Baumgarten Prize, which was - for political reasons - withdrawn from her on the very day it was given. She was dismissed from the Ministry in the same year.

During the establishment of Stalinist rule from 1949 to 1956, the government did not allow her works to be published. Since her unemployed husband was also stigmatized by the communist regime, she was forced to teach in an elementary school within this period.

Her first novel, Freskó ("Fresco"), written in these years was published in 1958 and achieved overwhelming success among readers. Her most widely read novel Abigél ("Abigail", 1970) is an adventure story about a schoolgirl boarding in eastern Hungary during the war.

She received several prizes in Hungary and her works have been published in 42 countries. In 2003 she was the winner of the French literary prize Prix Femina Étranger for the best foreign novel.

Her novel Abigél was popularised through a much-loved television series in 1978. Abigél was also chosen as the sixth most popular novel at the Hungarian version of Big Read. Her three other novels which were in the top 100 are Für Elise, An Old-fashioned Story and The Door.

Works in English

• The Door (ISBN 0880333049 [1995], ISBN 1843431939 [2005])
• The Fawn (ASIN B0007E2OQC)
• The Night of the Pig-Killing or Night of the Pigkilling (ASIN B0007E2OOY)
• Tell Sally (ASIN B0007IZJPG)
• Sziget-kék (ISBN 9631173402) (Island Blue in English)
• An Old-fashioned Story (play version)
• The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree

External links

• Biography, quotes and publications
• Magda Szabo in the History of Hungarian Literature
• Labours of love, review of "The Door" by The Guardian, October 29, 2005
• The housekeeper with the keys to Hungary's secret sufferings, review of "The Door" by The Independent, 18 January 2006
• Biography, including a list of her translated works

Persondata
Name	Szabo, Magda
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 5, 1917
Place of birth
Date of death	November 19, 2007
Place of death