Hilda Chaulk Murray, who resides in Mount Pearl, grew up in Maberly, Newfoundland. She taught in various communities as well as in St. John's. After recieving her M.A. in folklore in 1972, she taught English at the College of Trades and Technology (now College of the North Atlantic). Her first book, More Than 50%: Woman's Life in a Newfoundland Outport, based on her thesis, was published in 1979.