WorldPosted at: Oct 8 2026 10:45PM


Canadian poet Anne Carson bags Nobel Prize for Literature

Stockholm, Oct 8 (UNI) Canadian poet, essayist and translator Anne Carson has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2026, with the Swedish Academy praising her "bold and inventive oeuvre" and her role in creating new forms of contemporary literature.
Carson, 76, was recognised for work that moves between poetry, fiction and scholarship, often drawing on classical literature while experimenting with genre and form.
The Nobel committee said Carson had created new forms "in playful dialogue with the classical tradition".
Carson, who is currently in Iceland, joked that the judges were "crazy" to have selected her.
"I think they're all crazy... Well, you know, it's crazy," she told Icelandic public broadcaster RUV.
Ingrid Carlberg, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said she informed Carson of the award by phone shortly before the public announcement. Carson was "taken by surprise but very happy", Carlberg said, adding that the writer had told her she was in Iceland "listening to the wind".
Born in Toronto in 1950, Carson lives in Michigan and has held Icelandic citizenship since 2022. She has taught classics for more than three decades and much of her writing and translation work has been influenced by Greek literature.
Anders Olsson, chairman of the Swedish Academy's Nobel Committee for Literature, praised Carson for breaking away from poetry centred on the narrative self and inspiring new forms of contemporary literature.
Her work, he said, moves between classical and modern poetry as well as different genres and art forms, producing works marked by a playful and ironic approach.
Carson's notable works include 'The Glass Essay', 'Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse', 'Nox', 'Float' and 'The Beauty of the Husband: A Fictional Essay in 29 Tangos'.
Her work has also extended into theatre, visual art and performance. In 2019, her performance piece 'Norma Jeane Baker of Troy' drew parallels between Helen of Troy and Marilyn Monroe. In 2021, she released 'The Trojan Women: A Comic', a graphic retelling of Euripides' ancient tragedy.
Her translation of Sophocles' 'Elektra' was staged in London last year with Brie Larson.
Olsson also highlighted Carson's collaborations with visual artists, choreographers, opera companies and theatre directors, saying they "demonstrate the freedom with which she relates to literary expectations and rule systems."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hailed the win as "an extraordinary achievement and a proud moment for Canada".
Carson's writing is marked by "wit, imagination, and a style entirely her own", Carney said, adding that she had brought ancient stories to new audiences and changed the way literature is viewed.
The Nobel Prize is awarded for a lifetime's body of work and is regarded as the world's most prestigious literary honour. Carson will receive 12 million Swedish kronor, worth about £900,000 or $1.2 million.
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