Emily Sanford was born in Nova Scotia and holds an MA in Literature and Performance from the University of Guelph. She is the winner of the 2016 Eden Mills Writers’ Festival Literary Award for Poetry, and the 2018 Janice Colbert Poetry Award. Her work appears in Canthius, Grain Magazine, Minola Review, newpoetry.ca, and Plenitude Magazine, as well as Applebeard’s flash fiction anthology, release any words stuck inside of you.
Her stage debut was as the narrator in the Consolidated School’s Christmas Pageant in first grade, and she won her first writing contest at age twelve (see below), with a charming essay written on her Smith Corona WS250: a state-of-the-art electronic typewriter (and probably the best Christmas gift ever).
Emily lives in downtown Toronto. She works at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, and co-curates the Brockton Writers Series.
She still has a lot to learn.
Twitter: @emilyesanford
Readings/Events
20 October 2019, 3:00pm
Draft Readings – 450 Broadview Avenue, Toronto
27 June 2019, 7:00pm
Tartan Turban Secret Readings – 577 Kingston Road, Suite 301, Toronto
24 May 2019, 8:00pm
Toronto writer Emily Sanford joins Exultate to explore the powerful bond between poetry and music. Words by Canadian icons Lucy Maud Montgomery and Emily Carr take centre stage as well as a choral premiere based on Sanford’s award-winning poetry.
Words and Music, Exultate Chamber Singers at St. Thomas’, 383 Huron St, Toronto
14 March 2019, 8:30pm
Pivot Readings – Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto
25 October 2018, 5:30pm
And the Winner Is… SCS Awards at TIFA – Harbourfront, 235 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto
12 September 2018, 6:30pm
Brockton Writers Series – Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St, Toronto
11 July 2018, 7:00pm
Launch – Release Any Words Stuck Inside of You: An untethered Collection of Shorts Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave, Toronto
14 June 2018, 6:00pm
League of Canadian Poets New Members’ Reading – Harbourfront Centre, Studio Theatre
Select Publications
Astronomical Twilight – League of Canadian Poets – poetry pause
trick of light – Train: a poetry journal
Familiaris – The Eastern Iowa Review
You Wave – words(on)pages
“Useful General Notes for Different Dolls” – release any words stuck inside of you
cake | fish counter – newpoetry.ca
This dance is not optional – Plenitude Magazine
The Devil You Know – Minola Review
Recent Media
You Wave – YouTube video – Music by EKR Hammell, performed by Exultate Chamber Singers
The Ultimate Writing Tips Post – openbook.ca
Words and Music – Exultate Chamber Singers
Starting Late and Listening to Wisdom – Brockton Writers Series Blog
Emily Sanford – My Writing Day – My (small press) Writing Day
Writing Prompt – Diction and Punctuation as Momentum – Plenitude Magazine
The 10 Best Poems of 2016 – Vancouver Poetry House
Emily’s First Award for Writing
(Note the inclusion—in detail—of what she did not win)