By Zainab Bakare
Canadian author and poet Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Carson as the laureate on Thursday.
The Academy’s Secretary-General, Ingrid Carlberg, said Carson was honoured for her “bold and inventive oeuvre” and for creating new forms of contemporary literature through dialogue with classical tradition.
The 76-year-old writer was in Iceland when she received the news and was reportedly “listening to the wind” when Carlberg called to inform her of the award.
Carson has written more than 20 books and is recognised for her work as a poet, essayist and classicist.
Her writings frequently explore themes including love, desire and despair, drawing on classical literature while developing distinctive contemporary forms.
The Nobel Prize recognises Carson’s contribution to literature and her influence as one of the leading contemporary writers working across poetry, essays and classical studies.
