Canadian poet and writer Anne Carson won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced on Thursday for her genre-defying body of work that blends poetry, prose, dialogue and translation. The Swedish Academy honoured the 76-year-old for her “bold and inventive oeuvre,” recognising her contribution to contemporary literature through her engagement with classical traditions.

Born in Toronto, Carson was in Iceland when she received the news, which came as a surprise. “Crazy, I think they’re all crazy,” she said in an interview, adding that winning the prize would get her book “a sticker on the front”. 

Worth 12 million Swedish krona, the Nobel Prize recognizes Carson’s distinctive literary approach, which draws heavily on classical Greek literature. Her works span opera libretti, literary criticism and verse novels, often challenging conventional literary categories.

The Academy praised her ability to create “new forms for contemporary literature” through a playful dialogue with classical traditions. Her acclaimed 1998 book, Autobiography of Red, reimagines ancient literary themes while exploring love and destruction. Another notable work, Norma Jeane Baker of Troy (2019), combines Euripides’ Helen with the story of Marilyn Monroe.

Carson has also explored modern literary influences. In The Albertine Workout, she revisits Albertine, a character from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. After spending seven years reading Proust’s masterpiece, Carson told in a radio interview in 2016 that finishing it left her experiencing withdrawal symptoms, prompting her to write the book to prolong the experience.

Her Nobel recognition celebrates a literary career that bridges classical scholarship and contemporary experimentation.