Linda Bailey (born 1948) is a Canadian author who has written dozens of books for children, including Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein, and the Stevie Diamond mystery series. In 2021, she received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, an honour bestowed by the Writers' Trust of Canada to Canadian writers and illustrators whose work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth".
Born in 1948, Bailey was born and raised in Winnipeg. She enjoyed reading from an early age and cites public libraries and a bookmobile in Winnipeg as her largest influences.
As a young adult, Bailey briefly lived in Melbourne, Australia before returning to Canada. She studied English at the University of British Columbia, where she earned both a Bachelor's and a master's degree.
She is the mother of two daughters, including prominent evolutionary ecologist Tess Grainger.
In 1992, Bailey published her first book, How Come the Best Clues are Always in the Garbage?, the first installment in the Stevie Diamond mystery series. The story follows Stephanie, a sixth-grade girl from Vancouver who investigates the theft of money from her mother's charity project. Bailey published a total of seven books in the series between 1992 and 2002.
In addition to the Stevie Diamond books, Bailey is also the author of the middle-grade series "Good Times Travel Agency," which follows the adventures of the time-travelling Binkerton family on their trips through history.
Bailey has published almost 40 books over the course of her career.
In 2021, Bailey earned the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People by the Writers' Trust of Canada.
Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein was listed as a Best Book of the Year by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, the New York Public Library, and The Globe and Mail, among others.