„This is madness. Everyone's mad.“ That was the first reaction of Canadian poet, essayist, and translator Anne Carson to the decision to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2026. She made her comments in a brief interview with Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV.
Carson learned about the award while in Iceland, where she lives part of the year. The permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Ingrid Carlberg, said that during the phone call, the poet was walking and "listening to the wind."
Anne Carson herself confirmed this in her conversation with RÚV. "Here you can't help but listen to the wind. We live by the will of the wind. Yes, that's exactly what I did," she said, holding her hat so that it wouldn't be blown away by the strong wind.
"I'll have a sticker on my books"
When asked if the Nobel Prize would change her popularity, Carson responded with her characteristic sense of humor. "I guess that's what my publisher hopes," she said. Then he added: “I will have a sticker on my books“.
The Swedish Academy honored Anne Carson for “her bold and innovative work, which in a playful dialogue with the classical tradition creates new forms for contemporary literature“. The author is known for her interest in Greek culture and for works that combine poetry, essays, translation and elements of classical literature.
The Nobel Prize makes Carson the second Canadian to receive the most prestigious literary award. In 2013, the laureate was the writer Alice Munro.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the prize as “a source of great pride for Canada“. "She introduced readers to ancient stories and changed our view of literature," he wrote in "Ex."
The official Nobel Prize award ceremony will be held on December 10 in Stockholm. The ceremony will be followed by a traditional banquet at the city hall of the Swedish capital.