J. Hugh MacDonald was born in
Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island (
Canada), on July 24, 1945, and graduated from St.Dunstan's University in 1968. His father was a story teller and his mother a closet
poet. He retired in June of 1999 after teaching for 31 years. He is now writing full time. He is currently President of the PEI Writers' Guild and Vice Chair of the PEI Council of the
Arts. He and his wife Sandra and the two youngest of their six children live in Brudenell, PEI on the Montague River.
- L.M. Montgomery Children's Literature Award, first prize, 1990.
- Bennett Carr Award, 1990.
- Children's Literature Award, second prize, 1991.
- WFNS First Prize for poetry 1994
- Atlantic Poetry Competition, first prize, 1994.
- Chung Lee Loves Lobsters. (Annick Press, 1992, Black Moss Press 1999). ISBN 1-55037-214-9; 1-55037-217-3; 0-88753-325-6
- Looking for Mother. (Black Moss Press, Windsor, Ontario1995) ISBN 2:0-88753-259-4; 0-88753-325-6, 0-88753-255-1.
- The Digging of Deep Wells. (Black Moss Press, 1997, 1999) ISBN 0-88573-296-9, 0-88753348-5.
- Tossed Like Weeds From the Garden, Black Moss Press, 1999 ISBN 008753-330-2
- I Want to be the Poet of Your Kneecap
- Losers First
- Henry's Creature
- The New Poets of Prince Edward Island. (Ragweed Press, 1991).
- That Sign of Perfection. (Black Moss Press, 1995).
- Doors of the Morning. (UnMon America, 1997).
- Chung Lee Loves Lobsters.(Children's Picture Book) Annick Press, 1992
- Looking for Mother. (Poetry) Black Moss Press, 1995. ISBN 0-88753-225-1
- The Digging of Deep Wells. (Poetry) Black Moss Press, 1997. ISBN: 0-88753-296-9
- Tossed Like Weeds From the Garden, (Poetry) Black Moss Press, 1999. ISBN 008753-330-2
- Landmarks:An Anthology of New Atlantic Canadian Poetry of the Land, ed. with Brent MacLaine, The Acorn Press, 2001
- A Bountiful Harvest: 15 Years of the Island Literary Awards, ed. with Alice Reese, The Acorn Press, 2002
- Cold Against the Heart, (Poetry) Black Moss Press, 2003 ISBN 0-88753-377-9