Following the announcement of Anne Carson's Nobel win, the poet's works created a frenzy in Canada, according to the Globe and Mail daily. Publisher Indigo reported that her book sales increased by over 10,000% compared to the day before the Swedish Academy announced the results.

The publisher sold 18 titles on 8/10, led by "Autobiography of Red", "The Beauty of the Husband", and "Red Doc", though quantities were not disclosed due to "commercial sensitivity". On the day the award was announced, searches for the poet also saw an increase of 20,809% compared to the previous day.

Calgary Public Library experienced a significant surge in reservations for Anne Carson's works, receiving 447 requests. Among these, 131 readers are awaiting "Red Doc", the sequel to "Autobiography of Red". Kari Brawn, the library's book selector, described this pace as "unprecedented for a single day".

Cover of "Red Doc". *Photo: AP*

In the Asian market, particularly South Korea, Anne Carson's books also experienced high demand. According to data from the online bookstore system Yes24, within 12 hours of the Nobel Prize in Literature announcement, sales of the poet's translated works were approximately 184 times higher. On 9/10, Kyobo Bookstore, South Korea's largest bookstore chain, also recorded a 138,1-fold increase, with "Red Doc" topping the bestseller list.

According to Bookseller, negotiations for translation rights to Anne Carson's works quickly garnered attention from international editors and publishers. At the S. Fischer Verlag booth, the German rights holder for Anne Carson, at the Frankfurt International Book Fair, the poet's publications were prominently displayed. German publishers also swiftly implemented reprinting plans to meet the sudden surge in reader demand.

Poet Anne Carson attends an event at the Moderna Museet art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, May 2015. *Photo: AP*

Anne Carson, 76, was born in Toronto, Canada. In 1981, she received her doctoral degree in classical literature from the University of Toronto with a dissertation written in Latin: "Odi et Amo Ergo Sum" ("I hate and I love, therefore I exist"). 5 years later, she rewrote her dissertation into the essay "Eros the Bittersweet" (1986), marking the beginning of her literary career.

Her most frequently mentioned work is "Autobiography of Red" (1998), a novel in verse. Carson drew upon surviving fragments of poetry by the ancient Greek poet Stesichoros about Geryon, a red-winged monster slain by the hero Herakles. What was originally merely a mythological conquest was given an inner life by Carson. Geryon becomes the central character of a coming-of-age story set in modern times.

According to the Swedish Academy, Carson considers tracing the origins of words as the starting point for all her creative work. Therefore, her translations of classical Greek literature can be seen as independent works. Notable examples include "If Not, Winter" (2002), a translation of Sappho's poetic fragments, along with tragedies by Sophocles and Euripides, including "Antigone" (2015).

With the Nobel Prize in Literature 2026, the Academy honored Anne Carson's works as "a playful dialogue with classical tradition, creating new forms for contemporary literature".

"No one writes like her. And I think, no one would dare to write in that way", said writer Steve Sem-Sandberg, a member of the Nobel Prize in Literature Committee, after the announcement ceremony.

Phuong Linh (according to Globe and Mail, Bookseller, Star News)