Anne Carson Wins Literature Nobel

Anne CarsonAnne CarsonCanadian-Icelandic poet, essayist, and academic (born 1950) won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish AcademySwedish AcademySwedish Royal Academy announced Thursday. The academy honored the Canadian poet and essayist for a bold, inventive body of work that playfully engages classical tradition and creates new forms for contemporary literature. The literature Nobel recognizes a writer’s lifetime work and carries 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million. Carson’s writing moves among poetry, prose, translation and scholarship, drawing especially on ancient Greek literature and mythology to connect classical material with contemporary concerns. Carson joked that the judges were “crazy” to honor her. The Swedish Academy’s permanent secretary described her as surprised and happy when told in Iceland. The award ceremony is scheduled for Stockholm on December 10.