The Canadian poet Anne Carson has won this year's Nobel Prize in Literature, handing poetry a prominent win in a prize that usually leans towards novelists. Carson had surfaced repeatedly in past years as a possible candidate, so the Swedish Academy's pick did not come from nowhere for the literary world. Her German publishing house, by contrast, admitted it was caught completely off guard by the announcement. That reaction suggests the academy gave no advance notice and kept its decision tightly contained. Carson is known for work that folds classical material into bold new forms, a style that has earned her readers well beyond Canada. For German-language readers in particular, her backlist can expect a wave of fresh attention following the award. The publisher's surprise now gives way to the practical task of meeting whatever demand follows.