Annabel Lyon was Born in Brampton, Ontario. At a year old, she and her family moved to Coquitlam, British Columbia. Her father, Jim Lyon was a journalist, and he instructed her from a young age to write with concision. She completed a BA in philosophy at Simon Fraser University and an MFA in creative writing at the University of British Columbia. Lyon teaches creative writing at the University of British Columbia, and she has also taught piano.