Canadian poet, essayist and translator Anne Carson won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature on October 8, the Swedish Academy announced in Stockholm. The academy recognized her imaginative engagement with classical traditions and her creation of new forms for contemporary literature, bringing international recognition to a career spanning poetry, scholarship and performance.
Carson, 76, was born in Toronto and was in Iceland when she received the news, Reuters reported. Academy permanent secretary Ingrid Carlberg said the writer was surprised by the call and told her she was listening to the wind. The award carries 12 million Swedish crowns, approximately $1.2 million, according to Reuters.
The academy's biographical account describes a writer whose translations and university teaching have developed alongside her poetry. She completed a doctorate in classical languages in 1981. Her work draws on ancient Greek texts while moving between verse, prose and other art forms; the academy considers her translations creative works in their own right.
Among the books highlighted by the academy is Autobiography of Red, a 1998 verse novel that transforms the ancient figure Geryon into a character in a modern coming-of-age story. It also points to Float, published in 2016, which consists of 22 separate booklets on different subjects that readers can approach in any order.
The announcement prompted celebrations in Canada, Reuters reported. Michael Cobb, a University of Toronto English professor who has taught Carson's work for nearly 25 years, said the honor coincided with growing international curiosity about Canadian culture. The academy also emphasized her collaborations with visual artists, choreographers and opera and theater directors.
Carson follows Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai, who received the literature award in 2025, according to Reuters. Literature is the fourth Nobel category announced this week, after medicine, physics and chemistry. The next announcement is the Nobel Peace Prize, scheduled for Friday in Oslo, as this year's awards week continues.
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