Meet Janet Coulter Sanford

Call me a late bloomer. My debut book was published (by the wonderful team at Nimbus Publishing) when I was 71-years old.

You can also call me a bookworm. I have always loved reading and, as a child, I shied away from sports and boisterous activities. The quiet world of books was much more appealing to me.

Eventually, I became an English teacher. I always kept a classroom library made up of my own books and books scrounged from family, friends and second-hand bookstores. I loved to help students find just the right book to read.

Nothing was more gratifying to me than to have a student return a book and say, “This was really good.”

Throughout my 30-year career as an English teacher, I championed Canadian literature and encouraged students to find authors whose work they enjoyed and read, read, read.

I never imagined that I would someday become an author myself!

The first time I ever submitted anything for publication was an essay to The Globe and Mail in 2015. I was thrilled when it was accepted, but even more thrilling than publication was a casual comment from the editor, Jane Gadd. In an email to me she said, “It’s lovely, Janet.” That offhand compliment had me walking on air for weeks. And a seed was planted.

Memories on the Bounty was three years in the making, but untying this journey’s many threads was a labour of love. I hope you enjoy Roy’s story, and my journey of discovery in its telling. I invite you to follow the Instagram account for Memories on the Bounty, and explore more images and other tales yet to be told.