Jan Karon (b. 1937 in Lenoir, North Carolina) is an American writer, novelist and children's book author.

Janice Meredith Wilson was named after a popular novel, Janice Meredith[citation needed]. She retired from a career in advertising and moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina to write. Among her awards are an ABBY Honor award for books in the Mitford series (set in the fictional community of Mitford, North Carolina). She has been designated a lay Canon for the Arts in the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy (Illinois) by the Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC.