Bettine Manktelow

 

Bettine Walters (aka Manktelow) has longed to be a writer since she learned to write. This ambition has taken a lifetime to achieve. Her first published short story “Freddie” was in 1975 when she won a prize in a Writer’s Magazine.

This was followed by acceptance of short stories in the London Mystery Magazine – now defunct! Tackling her first novel proved more difficult and after two years when the scribbling resulted in a weighty tome of 150,000 words and didn’t find a publisher she decided to try play writing instead.

This proved more successful when she wrote and presented her first full-length play “They Call it Murder” at The Granville Theatre Ramsgate. This was accepted by Samuel French, the London play publishers and has since been performed all over the country and in far-flung places such as South Africa and Australia. It has also been translated into Dutch.

Following on this success Bettine has written many plays, most of which have been published by either French’s or Jasper Publishing.  Several attempts at a novel resulted in publication of “No Time for Tears” which came out two years ago. The bread-and-butter jobs (hardly careers) Bettine has pursued have been as an actress, nurse, medical secretary, political party agent, charity organiser and pub landlady.  This varied experience has given her plenty of material to write about, which is how she is spending her retirement in Deal.