Stockholm, 8 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Canadian poet and writer Anne Carson has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Swedish Academy described as her “bold and inventive oeuvre” that engages creatively with the classical tradition and has developed new forms for contemporary literature. The prestigious award, presented by the Swedish Academy, carries a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to around $1.2 million. Swedish Academy Permanent Secretary Ingrid Carlberg said Carson was deeply surprised by the announcement and, during a brief conversation, said she was currently in Iceland listening to the wind. Born in Toronto, the 76-year-old Carson is widely known for combining poetry, prose, dialogue and translation in genre-defying works. Her writing has been strongly influenced by classical Greek literature, and her work spans translations, opera libretti, literary criticism and verse novels, including Autobiography of Red. The Academy said much of Carson’s literary work focuses on the intersection between the philologist’s fascination with words and the poet’s search for new meanings. Her distinctive style is also reflected in Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, a 2019 performance work that combines the story of Helen of Troy from Euripides’ Helen with the life of Marilyn Monroe. Carson had been among the favourites for this year’s Nobel Prize and now joins renowned literary figures including Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Alice Munro and Ernest Hemingway as a recipient of the prestigious award. The Nobel Prizes in literature, science and peace were established through the will of Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel and have been awarded since 1901. Last year’s Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai.