Anne Carson's Nobel Prize in Literature sparks buying frenzy at Indigo

Anne Carson's Nobel Prize in Literature win Thursday triggered an unprecedented surge in demand for the Toronto-born poet's work across Canadian retail and library systems.

Indigo recorded a 10,325 percent jump in sales of Carson's titles on Thursday compared to the previous day, with online searches for her books climbing 20,809 percent day over day. The retailer sold 18 different titles by Carson, with the top three sellers being "Autobiography of Red," "The Beauty of the Husband," and "Red Doc."

Indigo declined to disclose the actual number of copies sold, citing proprietary commercial sensitivity.

The demand rippled through Canadian libraries. Calgary Public Library saw 435 holds placed on Carson's print titles since Thursday's announcement — an unprecedented rate for poetry. The library already had 447 total holds on her print books, with 131 readers waiting for "Autobiography of Red" alone.

"That is an unprecedented rate of holds placement for poetry in one day, let alone any title," said Kari Brawn, a library selector at Calgary Public Library. The library has begun ordering additional print copies of Carson's work.

Halifax Public Libraries recorded 152 new holds across five Carson print titles since Thursday, attributing the surge directly to the Nobel win. Calgary Public Library also purchased 10 of Carson's titles for its digital collection through Libby on Thursday, resulting in 170 checkouts and 180 holds recorded since then. The audiobook edition of "Autobiography of Red" alone logged 73 checkouts, while the e-book of "The Beauty of the Husband" generated 43 holds.

Carson's body of work blends poetry, prose, classical mythology and literary criticism. She is among Canada's most celebrated writers. A new book, "Beware the Man Whose Handwriting Sways Like a Reed in the Wind," is scheduled for release in February 2027.