Anne Carson Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature for Her "Original Literary World"

[Anchor]

This year's Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Canadian poet and author Anne Carson. The Swedish Academy stated that the author, who has reinterpreted classical works such as ancient Greek and Roman mythology in a modern way, has built an original literary world through such innovative forms.

Reporter Han Sung-hee has the details.

[Reporter]

"The soul, doctors say, is weighted with darkness. / Can you even impute the darkness?"

This is a line from "The Beauty of the Husband", a representative work by Anne Carson published in 2001.

Her writing, which has healed the hearts of readers worldwide by turning wounds themselves into a light, has reached the Swedish Academy.

[Ingrid Carlberg / Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy: The 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to the Canadian author Anne Carson.]

The Academy stated the reason for the selection, saying, "She has created new forms in modern literature through playful dialogues with the classics, constructing a bold and original literary world."

Born in 1950, she is a poet, classicist, and translator whose literary work is defined by the core elements of the classics and experimentation.

The author draws themes and forms from ancient literature, such as Greek and Roman mythology, and reshapes them into stories about modern human love, desire, solitude, and loss.

Upon receiving the news of the award, the author did not hide her surprise and stated that she plans to donate the prize money, which is approximately 1.6 billion won.

[Anne Carson / Nobel Laureate in Literature: Who could have ever expected it, oh my goodness. We're just thinking about ways to donate the prize money.]

The bookstore industry is already buzzing.

[Bea Carvalho / London Bookseller: It's wonderful news for Anne Carson. Many readers will discover her brilliant and playful voice as a result.]

To Korean readers, she may be a somewhat unfamiliar name compared to other leading contenders for the Nobel Prize in Literature, such as Haruki Murakami, but most of Carson's major works have been translated and published in South Korea.

Author Han Kang, who won the prize two years ago, left a recommendation for Carson's book "Nox", published in South Korea four years ago, calling it "deeply and painfully truthful."

(Video Editing: Park Ji-in, Design: Lee Jong-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.