Jennifer Manuel has won awards for her short fiction, including the Storyteller's Award at the Surrey International Writer's Conference in 2013. She has also published short fiction in PRISM International , The Fiddlehead , Room Magazine and Little Fiction . Author Diana Gabaldon describes Manuel's writing as "astonishing in its intimacy, delicate complexity and sense of compassion." A long-time activist in Aboriginal issues, Manuel taught elementary and high school in the lands of the Tahltan and Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. She lives on Vancouver Island, BC.