# Arthur Koestler ![[50 Resources/51 Attachments/51.03 Public/2025-08-23_Arthur_Koestler.jpg|400]] Arthur Koestler CBE (5 September 1905 – 1 March 1983) was an Austro-Hungarian-born author and journalist. Born in Budapest to Jewish parents, Koestler was educated in Austria and joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1931, but resigned in 1938 after becoming disillusioned with Stalinism. Moving to Britain in 1940, Koestler published his most famous novel "Darkness at Noon," an anti-totalitarian work that gained him international fame. The novel, based on the Stalin show trials, became one of the most influential political novels of the 20th century. Over 43 years, Koestler espoused many political causes and wrote novels, memoirs, biographies, and numerous essays. He worked secretly with the British Cold War Information Research Department from 1949. In 1968, he received the Sonning Prize "for outstanding contribution to European culture," and in 1972 was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Koestler was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1976 and terminal leukemia in 1979. On 1 March 1983, he and his wife Cynthia died by suicide together at their London home. ## Quotes <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST FROM #type/quote AND [[Arthur Koestler]] WHERE public_note = true SORT file.name ASC --> <!-- SerializedQuery: LIST FROM #type/quote AND [[Arthur Koestler]] WHERE public_note = true SORT file.name ASC --> - [[Language can become a screen which stands between the thinker and reality. This is the reason why true creativity often starts where language ends]] <!-- SerializedQuery END --> ## Books <!-- QueryToSerialize: LIST FROM #books AND [[Arthur Koestler]] WHERE public_note = true SORT file.name ASC -->