Anne Carson wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature

Canadian poet, essayist, translator and classicist Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature for work that blends poetry, prose, criticism and classical scholarship.

The Swedish Academy honored Carson “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.” The award carries 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million.

Carson, 76, was in Iceland when academy permanent secretary Ingrid Carlberg called to notify her. Carlberg said Carson was surprised and happy and told her she had been “listening to the wind.” Asked about the award by Icelandic broadcaster RUV, Carson joked that the judges were “all crazy.”

Born in Toronto in 1950, Carson has taught classics for more than three decades and has held Icelandic citizenship since 2022. Her writing frequently reworks ancient Greek literature through contemporary forms. Among her best-known books are *The Glass Essay*, *Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse*, *The Beauty of the Husband*, *Nox* and *Float*. Her 2019 performance work *Norma Jeane Baker of Troy* connects Marilyn Monroe with Helen of Troy, while her translations include works by Sappho, Sophocles and Euripides.

Carson is the 19th woman to receive the literature prize and the second Canadian woman to win, after Alice Munro in 2013. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the award “an extraordinary achievement and a proud moment for Canada.”