About Graham Nelson
Born 1968. Graham Nelson is a British engineer and mathematician.
Graham A. Nelson (born 1968) is a British mathematician, poet, and the creator of the Inform design system for creating interactive fiction (IF) games. He has authored several IF games, including Curses and Jigsaw (1995).
Education In 1994, Nelson received a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Oxford under the supervision of Simon Donaldson.
Writing Nelson co-edited Oxford Poetry and in 1997 received an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors for his poetry. he was managing editor of Legenda, the imprint of the Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA).
Interactive fiction Nelson is the creator of the Inform design system for creating interactive fiction (IF) games. He has also authored several IF games, including Curses (1993) and Jigsaw (1995), using the experience of writing Curses in particular to expand the range of verbs that Inform is capable of understanding.
Personal life Nelson is married to IF writer Emily Short.
Games
Written Curses (1993, Z-code) Deja Vu (1993, Z-code) Balances (1994, Z-code) Jigsaw (1995, Z-code) The Meteor, the Stone and a Long Glass of Sherbet (as "Angela M. Horns", 1996, Z-code), for IF Comp 1996 (1st place). Was a finalist for Best Individual Puzzle, Best Puzzles, Best Writing, and Best Game at the XYZZY Awards 1996 The Tempest (1997, Z-code), for IF Comp 1997 (25th place). Winner of Best Use of Medium at the XYZZY Awards 1997. Time and Dwarves (1998, Inform source code). Demo code for Inform programmers. Ruins (as "Angela M. Horns", 2001) The Reliques of Tolti-Aph (2006, Z-code)
Ported Adventure Adventureland Crobe Fyleet Quest for the Sangraal
Other works (1995) "The Craft of the Adventure" (2nd ed) (1997) Singularities, with Polly Clark and Tim Kendall. Oxford: Hubble Press. . Anthology of poetry (2001) Inform Designers Manual (4th ed), with Gareth Rees. Placet Solutions,
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Graham Nelson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Graham Nelson's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Graham Nelson?
editor, interactive fiction author
When was Graham Nelson born?
Graham Nelson was born in 1968.
What is Graham Nelson's occupation?
Graham Nelson is an engineer and mathematician.
What nationality is Graham Nelson?
Graham Nelson is British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Graham Nelson. https://biography.guide/graham-nelson/
MLA: "Graham Nelson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/graham-nelson/.
Chicago: "Graham Nelson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/graham-nelson/.
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