 "Scenes and Portraits" followed in 1909, which was a discussion of religious topics written in the form of a series of debates in which those taking part are leading lights from the past, such as Socrates, Francis of Assisi and Thomas Cromwell.These books went down well in literary circles, but did not enjoy a particularly wide circulation.Manning was recognised as an up-and-coming writer, a reputation that the indifferent collection "Poems" (1910) did not dissipate.