Canadian author Anne Carson wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature

Canadian poet and author Anne Carson has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature in recognition of her innovative literary works and contributions to contemporary writing.

According to Peoples Gazette, the Swedish Academy announced the prestigious award on Thursday, October 8, in Stockholm, Sweden.

The 76-year-old writer was honoured “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary Literature”.

Ingrid Carlberg, the academy’s secretary-general, announced the award and disclosed that Carson was in Iceland when she received the news.

Carlberg said the author was “where she is listening to the wind”, adding that she “was very taken by surprise” by the announcement.

Carson studied at the University of Toronto and has taught comparative literature and creative writing at several institutions across Canada and the United States.

She has authored more than 20 books spanning poetry, essays and literary translations.

Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2025.