Donna Morrissey (born January 13, 1956, The Beaches, Newfoundland) is a Canadian author.
At age 16, Morrissey left The Beaches. She lived in various places in Canada before returning to St. John's, where she studied at Memorial University and obtained a Bachelor of Social Work and a diploma in adult education. Morrissey now lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Morrissey has written six national best sellers and prize-winning novels — Kit's Law, Downhill Chance, Sylvanus Now, What They Wanted, The Deception of Livvy Higgs, and The Fortunate Brother — as well as one Gemini-nominated screenplay. In 2021 she published a memoir, Pluck: A Memoir of a Newfoundland Childhood and the Raucous, Terrible, Amazing Journey to Becoming a Novelist.
Morrissey defended Frank Parker Day's novel Rockbound in Canada Reads 2005. Rockbound eventually won the competition. In the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, an "all-star" competition pitting the five winning advocates from previous years against each other, Morrissey returned to champion Anosh Irani's novel The Song of Kahunsha.
Morrissey had a double mastectomy due to breast cancer.
Publications Kit's Law (1999) Downhill Chance (2002) Sylvanus Now (2005) What They Wanted (2008) The Deception of Livvy Higgs (2012) Cross Katie Cross (2012) What Beautiful Mistake Did You Make Today (2012) The Fortunate Brother (2016) Pluck: A Memoir of a Newfoundland Childhood and the Raucous, Terrible, Amazing Journey to Becoming a Novelist (2021) Rage the Night (2023) Tell It to the Water: Five Siblings Tell of Their Father's Grief and His Struggle Back to Hope (2026)
Filmography Clothesline Patch (screenplay)
Awards and recognition For Sylvanus Now: Winner of the Thomas Head Raddall Award Atlantic Booksellers Choice Award Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize For Downhill Chance: Winner of the Thomas Head Raddall Award For Kit's Law: Winner of the Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award Winner of the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize Winner of the Alex Award Shortlisted for the Books in Canada First Novel Award Shortlisted for the Atlantic Provinces Booksellers' Choice Award Shortlisted for the Thomas Head Raddall Award For Clothesline Patch: Winner, Best Production, 2002 Gemini Awards For The Deception of Livvy Higgs: One Book Nova Scotia selection, 2016 For The Fortunate Brother: Winner of the Thomas Head Raddall Award Winner of Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Book of 2017
References
External links
Donna Morrisey at Penguin Canada
Online interview with Donna Morrissey, CBC Words at Large