Budge Wilson is recognized as the original creator of the source material for the anime television series Konnichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables, which aired in Japan in 2009. Her role in the anime industry is that of a writer whose published novel was adapted into an animated production, rather than as a direct producer of anime or manga content.

Born Budge Marjorie Archibald on May 2, 1927, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Wilson was a celebrated Canadian author of children's and young adult literature. She studied philosophy and psychology at Dalhousie University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1949, and later completed postgraduate studies at the University of Toronto. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a teacher, an editor, a photographer, and a fitness instructor. She began writing full time in 1978 and published her first book, The Best/Worst Christmas Present Ever, in 1984 at the age of 56. Over her career, she wrote more than thirty books and received numerous honors, including appointments as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004 and a member of the Order of Nova Scotia in 2011. Budge Wilson passed away on March 19, 2021, in Halifax at the age of 93.

Wilson's most significant work in relation to anime is her novel Before Green Gables, published in 2008. This book is an authorized prequel to Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic Anne of Green Gables series, written as part of the centennial celebration of the original work. The novel tells the story of the orphaned Anne Shirley's life before her arrival at Green Gables, covering her difficult early years spent in various homes and orphanages. In 2009, the Japanese animation studio Nippon Animation adapted this novel into a 39-episode anime series titled Konnichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables. In the context of this production, Budge Wilson is officially credited as the original creator, as her book served as the foundation for the anime's narrative.

Beyond this single anime adaptation, Wilson was not a creator of manga nor directly involved in the production of other animated works. Her broader artistic identity was rooted in literary fiction for young people, with her writing often exploring complex emotional themes such as family relationships, personal loss, identity, and resilience. One of her noted short stories, The Metaphor, deals with the impact of an inspiring teacher, a theme that resonates with the educational and emotional growth arcs commonly found in the Anne of Green Gables universe. Her writing style is characterized by a sharp focus on character development and psychological depth, skills she attributed in part to her earlier career as a photographer where she learned to capture exact moments of expression and gesture.

Wilson's industry significance lies primarily in her contribution to the legacy of one of literature's most beloved characters. The novel Before Green Gables became a major international success, marking the largest foreign rights sale for Penguin Canada at the time. Its adaptation into a Japanese anime demonstrates the cross-cultural appeal of the Anne Shirley character and the ability of a Canadian author to contribute meaningfully to a beloved global literary franchise. Her archives, held at Dalhousie University, contain materials specifically related to the adaptation of her novel into a Japanese animated television series, documenting this unique intersection of Canadian children's literature and Japanese animation.