Riel Nason author page

Riel Nason biography

Riel Nason is a Canadian author and quilter who writes for both adults and children. Her writing career includes novels for adults, a middle-grade novel, picture books and two books on quilting. Her original quilts are known for humour, whimsy and bold use of colour.

The Town That Drowned was Nason’s debut novel. The book won the Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe and the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. It also won the Frye Academy Award, was a finalist for the CLA Young Adult Book Award, the Red Maple Award and the University of Canberra Book of the Year, and was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Award.

All the Things We Leave Behind was Nason’s second novel. It was published by Goose Lane in September 2016 and is set in small-town New Brunswick, the same region used for The Town That Drowned.

The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt was Nason’s debut picture book, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler and published by Tundra in September 2020 for readers aged 3 to 7. The Little Ghost Quilt’s Winter Surprise, also illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler, was published by Tundra Books on 26 August 2025 and shortlisted for the 2026 New Brunswick Book Awards Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing.