He was Sekler, which influenced his way of approach and style. Homeland - with the trees and mountains, with its traditions, the soul with the long-absorbed tales and ballads, the jokes, games - influenced his notion and imagination, his "opened eye"-interests in everything, and his "closed eye"-inclination to mysticism. He saw everything that was visible in his surrounding reality, and answered with the responses of the hard working people. But he also saw what the others could not see, what they didn't even know if existed, those, fallen outside reality. One can have a proper appreciation of Tamási's personality and his oeuvre only if they take in consideration that he was a factual realist and a deeply religious person at once, who awaited the final decision beyond humanity. He was not a dogmatic religioner, moreover, he was alien from any dogmatism; he was more of a playful soul, living his own life. Yet, he knew it well that heavenly aid will not arrive from itself, unless we will intercede for ourselves. His winsomely shrewd, poor crackers of jokes have their own theory of jurisdiction: "Help yourself so God can help you."
Áron Tamási, Kossuth Prize-winner writer, was
born on 20th September, 1897, in Lupeni (Farkaslaka).
1917 - he finished military school, and attended high-school and officer-candidate school simultaneously.
1918 - he took part in the battle of the Piave river, receiving medal of valour.
November, 1918 - he went up to the university in Cluj Napoca, to the faculty of law, yet, after realizing it had been taught in Romanian, he transferred to the commercial academy. After graduation he worked at banks, and around this time began his literary career.
1922 - he won the Keleti Újság (Eastern News) novella-competition with his work entitled Szász Tamás, a pogány ('Tamás Szász, the Pagan').
1923 - he left for the United States to earn a better living, or just out of wanderlust, where he went out charring and worked as a bank-clerk. Writing was the cure for his homesickness; he sent home some of his writings, which accumulated to the 1925 volume of novellas entitled Lélekindulás ('Soul-stirring'). The book containing Sekler folk-ballads, evoking the world of popular jests, raised interests both in the public and the critic.
1926 - he came home to become associate at the newspaper Újság (News), and became involved with the circle of Erdélyi Helikon (Transylvanian Helikon) and Korunk (Our Age).
1932 - his best known novel was published, Abel in the Wilderness that later, together with Abel in the Country and Abel in America compiled into a trilogy. The closing lines of the "masterpiece with the scent of pine" - labelled by Géza Hegedűs - have already become an adage: "We are in the world in order to be at home somewhere."
From 1944 he lived in Budapest, where from 1943 to 1949 he was a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, from 1945 to 1947, a member of the National Assembly. The following years slight was his share; during this periode he wrote scenes and drolleries.
Only in 1953 could he publish his biographical reminiscence through the novels Bölcső és bagoly ('Cradle and Owl') and Hazai tükör ('Inland Mirror').
1954 - he won the Kossuth Prize and became a member of the re-organized Hazafias Népfront Országos Tanácsa (National Council of Patriotic Popular Front).
During the revolution in 1956 he pledged his faith in the cause, expressing it through his writing entitled Magyar fohász ('Hungarian Petition'), and broadcast on radio. He also urged the re-organization of the Hungarian Peasant Alliance.
After the defeat of the revolution he took part in the assembly of the Writer's Federation in December, where he read out their declaration entitled Anxiety and Creed, in which he identified himself with the aim and belief of the defeated uprising. One year later, due to much pressure, he distanced himself from the revolution, yet, in 1959 he took part in the re-organization of the Writer's Federation.
1963 - he became chairman of the Hungarian Peace Council.
From 1965 onward, due to his illness becoming graver, he was hospitalised, being forced to dictate his last work to his wife. The remembrance received the title Vadrózsa ága ('Twig of the Briar-rose').
He died on 26th May, 1966, and buried according to his will in his homeland, Lupeni (Farkaslaka).