Biography

A writer whose career began at 41, publishing across multiple genres including children's books, plays, and poetry.

Linda Hutsell-Manning's writing career began when she was 41! She had just graduated from the University of Guelph as a mature student and, with encouragement from two professors and her husband, she tentatively began writing and sending out both stories and poetry.

After many rejections, Annick Press published a children's book, Grain published her first poem, a children's play was published by Playwrights Guild of Canada and Quarry Magazine published her first short story.

Forty-four years later and, now mostly unconcerned by ongoing rejections, she continues to be published and give readings. She is currently promoting her most recent book, The Killing Room (At Bay Press 2025), and working on a poetry collection, Absence, that deals with her grief journey following the death of her wonderful husband Jim.

Selected Publications

• "Cranial Landscape Danger Zone", consilience, UK, 2022
• "Died Suddenly" and "Death and Understanding", Bliss Anthology, Raven's Quoth Press, 2021
• "Dark Exultation", Nuwork Magazine, Toronto, ON 2014
• "Falling Into Light", Fish Quill Poetry Boat Anthology, Montreal, QC 2013
• "Some", "On Entering My Seventieth Year", The Prairie Journal, Calgary, AB 2012
• "Who Do You Think You Are?", On Amusing Ourselves to Death" Local Lot V, 2011
• "Lady of the Night", Pantoum for Mr. Harper" Northumberland Today, 2010
• "On this Prairie", "Snow Walk" & "Conversation with my 20 Year Old Cat", poetry'zown, 2009
• "The Calf in Hidden Valley" in lichen magazine, Whitby, ON, 2000
• "Connections" & "Miss Cannom's Chili Sauce", Seeds Anthology, Toronto, ON 2000
• "The Grief House" in The Danforth Review (www.danforthreview.com), 1999
• "She Dreamed the Prairie" Quarry, Kingston, ON 1992
• "Dementia Days" in Grain, SK 1991

Books in Print

• The Killing Room, short story, At Bay Press, "From the Heart" series, Jan 2025
• Heads I Win Tails You Lose, novella, OAS Publishers, 2024
• Fearless & Determined: Two Years Teaching in a One-Room School, Blue Denim Press, 2019
• That Summer in Franklin, Second Story Press, 2011

Juvenile Drama & TV

• Donuts in Four Four Time, Playwright's Scripted for Schools (online catalogue) 2009
• What Do You Do with a Dinosaur, Playwright's Scripted for Schools (online catalogue) 2008
• Marcie Saves the Circus, Playwright's Scripted for Schools (online catalogue) 2008 and winner of the MM New Play Comp, Alleyway Theatre, Buffalo, NY. 2000
• Merch the Invisible Wizard, PGC 1984 Copyscript 2001
• The Great Zanderthon Takeover, PGC 1995 Copyscript 2001
• Freddykid and Seagull Sam, PGC, Canada, 1982. Copyscript 2001
• Five scripts for TVOntario's Polka Dot Door aired from 1981 to 1993

Juvenile Fiction

Finding Moufette, picture book, Pandamonium Publishers, Hamilton, Oct 2023
• Jason and the Wonder Horn, Bk 1, Fogbound through Time Series, Kindle&Kobo, 2022
• Dinosaur Days, McGraw Hill USA, "Read Aloud Library Series" 2007, Language Arts text 2017
• Otto Discovers FM, (educational), Oticon, Denmark, 2006
• Otto Hears Many Things (educational,10 language translations), Oticon, Denmark, 2005 & 2022
• Jason and the Deadly Diamonds, Coteau Books, Regina, SK ,2004.Copyscript 2015
• Jason and the Wonder Horn, Coteau Books, Regina SK, 2002. Copyscript 2015
• Dinosaur Days, Stoddart 1993/2001-Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Toronto ON, Out of Print 2022
• Animal Hours, OUP 1991/Stoddart 1996/F&W 2002, Toronto ON, Out of Print 2020
• Wondrous Tales of Wicked Winston, Annick Press, Toronto, ON,1981 Out of Print 1984