Anne Carson Wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Canadian poet, essayist, and classicist Anne Carson, making her the 19th woman to receive this prestigious award since its establishment in 1901. The Swedish Academy honored Carson for her “bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.” At 76, Carson is the second Canadian woman to win the Literature Nobel, following Alice Munro in 2013.

The journey from the first female laureate, Selma Lagerlöf, who won in 1909, to Carson has been uneven, with only 19 women recognized compared to 104 men among the 123 individual laureates. The Literature Prize has been awarded 119 times, with notable interruptions during the World Wars and instances of shared awards, including the 1966 prize shared by Nelly Sachs and Shmuel Yosef Agnon.