Winnifred Eaton, (1875-1954) better known by her penname, Onoto Watanna was a Canadian author and screenwriter of Chinese-British ancestry. First published at the age of fourteen, Watanna worked a variety of jobs, each utilizing her talent for writing. She worked for newspapers while she wrote her novels, becoming known for her romantic fiction and short stories. Later, Watanna became involved in the world of theater and film. She wrote screenplays in New York, and founded the Little Theatre Movement, which aimed to produced artistic content independent of commercial standards. After her death in 1954, the Reeve Theater in Alberta, Canada was built in her honor.

Delia struggles to find a decent job as a lower-class working woman. The Diary of Delia> by Onoto Watanna is a dramatic narrative that follows the day-to-day life of Delia, a working-class woman. With themes of class, gender, and the portrayal of a regional dialect, The Diary of Delia provides invaluable insight on life in the early 20th century.