Born in Sydney, Chris Mansell grew up on the Central Coast of New South Wales and in Lae, Papua New Guinea, later studying economics at the University of Sydney. She was active in Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s as an editor and poet and since the 1980s has lived on the south coast of NSW, Australia where she continues to write, perform, publish and edit.
Chris Mansell, born in Sydney, had a diverse upbringing on the Central Coast of New South Wales and in Lae, Papua New Guinea. She went on to study economics at the University of Sydney before becoming an influential presence in Sydney's literary world during the 1970s and 1980s as an editor and poet. Since then, she has made her home on Australia's south coast, where she remains active in creative pursuits such as writing, performing, publishing, and editing.