By Camille Sanez
Staff Writer
In a statement with NDTV, when Anne Carson first received news of her win for the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, she said, “Just seems a little insane. I think you're all insane.”
Now living in Reykjavík, Iceland, she is originally from Toronto. Carson was reportedly drinking tea, eating crackers, reading and sweeping her floor when she started receiving calls about her win. She was initially ignoring them until her husband and collaborator, Robert Currie, persuaded her to call them back.
The award comes with a prize of 12 million Swedish krona, which is about $1.2 million in the U.S. Upon winning, Carson said she wasn’t planning on keeping the money for herself, but wants to use part of it to help buy her friend a house.
She also wants to donate a lot of it to Médecins Sans Frontières, an organization that provides emergency medical care to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare..
The Swedish Academy has awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature since the practice first started 125 years ago. Modeled directly after the French Academy, The Swedish Academy was formed in 1786 by King Gustav III.
In a quote from Britannica, the original purpose of the organization was “working for the ‘purity, vigour and majesty’ of the Swedish language.” It was an 18-member royal academy with its official motto being “snille och smak,” which translates to “talent and taste.”
Carson became the 19th woman and 119th overall recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. She is also the third Canadian-born writer to win, followed by Alice Munro in 2013 and Saul Bellow in 1976.
Carson’s most popular work is “Autobiography of Red.” Blending poetry, prose essays, interviews and classic translation, this book is thought of as her breakthrough piece. It is her most commercially and critically popular work.
“Autobiography of Red” modernizes the ancient Greek myth of Herakles and the monster Geryon, originating from the surviving fragments of the sixth century poet Stesichorus. In a fit of rage, Herakles kills his wife and children, and so King Eurystheus orders him to take part in 10 difficult tasks as his punishment, the last of which being to steal Geryon’s famous red cattle.
In a statement with The National News, The Academy chose to give Carson the award because of her “bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.”
Carson's work centers on recurring human and classical themes, which she explores through what some would describe as a genre-defying, experimental style. This is because she blends different works of literature and multiple genres into a single form.
Her first published book was “Canicula di Anna” in 1984, a poetry book. Her most recent is “Wrong Norma,” published in 2024, and also a poetry book featuring prose pieces. In total, she has published more than 20 original books of writings by the age of 76.
With Anne Carson’s impressive body of work, she is more than deserving of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. Her encapsulating and unique writing style paired with traditional writing topics has proven to be loved by many.
