Anne Carson Wins the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature
Canadian poet, essayist and classical scholar Anne Carson has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy honoured her “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature”. In June 2025, Carson received the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award at the Palace of the Commonwealth, part of the National Library of Poland in Warsaw.
Born in Toronto in 1950, Anne Carson is one of the most original figures in contemporary literature. Her writing combines poetry, essays, prose and drama, freely crossing the boundaries between literary genres. Drawing inspiration from classical literature, particularly Homer and Sappho, she explores universal themes of love, desire, the passage of time, loss and death. Her works translated into Polish include Autobiography of Red, The Beauty of the Husband, Eros the Bittersweet and Decreation.
On 11 June 2025, the National Library of Poland hosted the ceremony at which Anne Carson received the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award. In her laudatory speech, poet and translator Krystyna Dąbrowska highlighted Carson's remarkable creative freedom and her ability to expand the boundaries of poetry.
During the ceremony, Carson also spoke of her admiration for Zbigniew Herbert, particularly his poems featuring Mr Cogito. Reflecting on the relationship between poetry and thought, she described thinking as one of the most exhilarating human activities and poetry as the finest means of capturing that experience.
We invite you to read our report on the ceremony at which Anne Carson received the Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award and watch the recording of the event.