Following her Nobel Prize in Literature win this year, Canadian poet and classicist Anne Carson is enjoying a massive surge in book sales, sparking a rare literary boom for a foreign author.

According to internet bookstore Yes24 on the 15th, Carson's book sales skyrocketed by approximately 224-fold during the first week following her win (based on October 8–14) compared to the previous week. E-book sales also surged by 152-fold. Her most popular title was her masterpiece, Autobiography of Red, which claimed the number-one spot on the bestseller list for six consecutive days following the announcement. Over the past decade, Carson is the only Nobel Literature laureate other than Han Kang—whose Human Acts achieved the feat—to hold the top bestseller spot for six days or more.

Why is Carson's work receiving such exceptional attention compared to other foreign Nobel laureates? The publishing industry analyzes that her reputation as a "writer's writer" worked to her advantage. Following the announcement, various literary figures, such as publishing YouTuber Editor K and literary critic Jung Yeo-ul, posted congratulatory messages on social media, driving widespread interest.

Furthermore, many of her major works have already been translated. While foreign authors without existing translations typically face a wait of a month or more for a localized release after winning, nine of Carson's titles—including Eros the Bittersweet, Short Talks, and Float—were already available. "Carson was a writer known to those in the know, a poet beloved by poets," said Kim Yu-ri, a PD at Yes24. "We believe the thick layer of readers who deeply trust author recommendations played the biggest role."

Analysts also suggest that the themes and writing style Carson explores resonate strongly with modern readers, particularly young people in their 20s and 30s. Universal themes of love, desire, and mourning grounded in classics, combined with a fluid writing style that crosses traditional genre boundaries, align well with current literary trends.

In fact, the purchase rate among younger demographics is notably higher than that of previous laureates. On the day of the award announcement, buyers in their 30s accounted for the largest share at 28%. The combined purchase proportion for those in their 20s and 30s reached nearly half at 49.6%. In contrast, buyers in their 40s and 50s accounted for the majority during the wins of Han Kang in 2024 and László Krasznahorkai in 2025.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]