Key facts
- Canadian poet Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature.
- The Swedish Academy cited Carson's "bold and inventive oeuvre" for its playful dialogue with the classical tradition.
- Carson, born in Toronto in 1950, is known for works that blend poetry, prose, and translation, often referencing ancient Greek literature.
- Her notable works include "Autobiography of Red" and "Eros the Bittersweet".
- She is the first woman to win the TS Eliot prize, awarded in 2001 for "The Beauty of the Husband".
- The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai.
Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced. The academy cited her "bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature."
Born in Toronto in 1950, Carson's work frequently blends poetry, prose, and translation, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek literature and mythology. Her first book, "Eros the Bittersweet," published in 1986, combined literary criticism with explorations of desire and classical tradition. Her 1998 novel in verse, "Autobiography of Red," reimagines the myth of Geryon.
Carson was the first woman to win the TS Eliot prize in 2001 for "The Beauty of the Husband." She has also received Guggenheim and MacArthur fellowships. Writer Susan Sontag was a notable admirer, stating she would "read anything she wrote."
Her diverse literary forms include "Men in the Off Hours," a collection of verse essays, poems, epitaphs, and prose, and "Decreation," which features poetry, essays, and an opera. "Nox," published in 2010, is an accordion-fold book created after the death of her brother.
The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 118 times since 1901. Last year's recipient was Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai. Carson will receive the medal and diploma in Stockholm in December.