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)