The 76-year-old poet, translator and essayist is renowned for her “bold and inventive” approach to blending poetry, prose and everything in between, leading to what the Swedish Academy calls “new forms for contemporary literature”. Published: October 8, 2026 By Adina Bresge
A Canadian poet and essayist who earned three U of T degrees, Carson is the second Canadian woman – and first U of T alumna – to win the prestigious international prize, widely regarded as the world’s highest literary honour for “her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature,” according to the Nobel committee.
“On behalf of the University of Toronto, I am absolutely delighted to congratulate alumna Anne Carson on winning the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature,” said U of T President Melanie Woodin. “This is a very proud moment for our global alumni community and for the entire university.”
Known for writing that resists categorization, Carson draws on the classical training she began at U of T to bring ancient Greek and Latin literature into conversation with the contemporary world, moving fluidly between verse and prose, translation and reimagination.
“It seems a little insane,” Carson told organizers in reaction to the announcement. She added that she had been sweeping her kitchen when the phone started ringing, and only called back at the insistence of her husband, Robert Currie. Her plans to celebrate? Leaving her phone behind for a walk in the woods, where she and her spouse can “hear the quiet.” FOR MORE
