Sandra Alland

Sandra Alland (born April 17, 1973) is an Edinburgh Scottish-Canadian writer, multimedia artist, bookseller, small press publisher and activist. She has published two collections of poetry, "Proof of a Tongue" (McGilligan Books, 2004) and "Blissful Times" (BookThug, 2007), and is working on a collection of short stories. Her work focuses on social justice, language, humour and experimental forms.

Alland's writing has been published in anthologies including, "The State of the Arts: Living with Culture in Toronto" (Coach House Books), "radiant danse uv being: A Poetic Portrait of bill bissett" (blewointment), "Red Light: Superheroes, Saints, and Sluts" (Arsenal Pulp Press), "My Lump in the Bed: Love Poems for George W. Bush" (Dwarf Puppets on Parade), and "The Common Sky: Canadian Writers Against the War" (Three Squares Press). She has published and presented her work in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Spain, Scotland, England and the U.S.

Besides text, Alland has worked in multimedia, performance poetry and sound poetry including Other Me (Scream Festival, with Alejandra Perez-Gomez and Megan Somerville), Poetry Is Not a Luxury (Mayworks, with Karen Augustine and Anna Camilleri) and Strange Attractors (Hysteria, with Michelle Ramsay and Megan Somerville). She collaborates with composer and musician Yudnara J. De Ridder in the poetry-fusion band Zorras.

In Canada, Alland has featured at series, including Pivot, Kat Biscuits, Test Reading Series, The IV Lounge, The Art Bar, The Ottawa International Writers' Festival, Hillside Festival, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and Pride Week (Toronto). In the UK, she has performed at The West Port Book Festival, Queer Mutiny, Edinburgh Book Fringe, Word Power Books, Street Level Gallery, The Hidden Cafe, International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO at the GRV), Club Welto, Who's Your Dandy, The Golden Hour, Canon's Gait, Push Play (London) and The Forest (social centre). In 2009 Alland will be touring the UK with Found in Translation.

Alland has curated events for entities including Artscape's Queen West Art Crawl, This Ain't the Rosedale Library, The Theatre Centre and Word Power Books, and co-created Canada's first ever Silent Slam (a live, projected writing competition). She curates the Edinburgh series Who's Your Dandy?, an evening featuring queer and trans writers and musicians.

Alland also works at Word Power Books and occasionally writes for "Xtra!". Her short stories can be found in This Magazine, Broken Pencil, dig and other independent publications.

Works

* "The Mathematics of Love". Toronto: 13the Tiger Press, 2000.
* "Proof of a Tongue". Toronto: McGilligan, 2004.
* "Blissful Times". Toronto: BookThug, 2007.

External links

* [http://www.blissfultimes.ca Blissful Times the homepage of Sandra Alland]
* [http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=3&STORY_ID=3253&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=7 "So many closets, so little time"] , "Xtra!", July 5, 2007.
* [http://www.word-power.co.uk Word Power Books]