Josie Di Sciascio-Andrews lives and writes in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. She was born in Italy, where she was educated for the first 13 years of her life. Her family, then moved to Oakville, where she resided ever since. With a love for books and writing, in high school she earned many awards and graduated as an Ontario Scholar and with a U of T Entrance Scholarship. There she pursued studies in Italian and French literature, as well as Spanish, English and Psychology. She received an Honours B.A., an M.A. in Italian Literature a Specialist Degree in French and a B.Ed. in Educational Administration. Completing her graduate work at St. Michael's College in 2008, led her to Harvard University, where her essay on Calvino's Trilogy was selected for presentation in a Harvard Conference entitled "Il Testo in Movimento/Text in Movement". Her essay on Petrarch's contemporary and Italian Renassaince poet Vittoria Colonna, was subsequently selected for a conference at the University of Minneapolis. "The Sublimation of Eros in Vittoria Colonna's "Rime Spiritual" highlights the lyrical passion of a woman who wrote in the prescribed form of her century, with the ethos of a contemporary poet. Through the M.A. program, Josie also had the opportunity to write a non-fiction, historical documentation of Italian immigration and contribution to the Canadian cultural landscape, part of a heritage series by Dragon-Hill Press, entitled "How the Italians Created Canada". In 2015, her second non-fiction book "In the Name of Hockey", a closer look at emotional abuse in children's sports, was released on Amazon and Chapters-Indigo by Friesen Press.

Memberships:
1. Pen - America
2. The Toronto Heliconian Club for Women in the Arts
3. The Ontario Poetry Society Oakville Chair/Manager
4. The League of Canadian Poets
5. The Oakville Literary Alliance
6. The Italian-Canadian Writers Association

Awards:
1. The Malahat Review, 2014 Shortlist - Open Season Award, Poem "Emerald City"
2. Descant, Winston Collins Best Canadian Poem, 2013 Shortlist, Poem "The Red Accordion"
3. The Canada Literary Review,Summer Sports Poetry Competition, 2010-11 Poetry Top Three
4. Ottawa Carleton University, Italian Week Poetry Contest, First prize and jury prize Four consecutive years
5. Oakville Arts Council Literary Award, Red Carpet Gala Event, Nomination for 2009 and 2013
6. Arborealis Anthology Contest, First Prize, Poem "Immigrants Fishing on the Oakville Pier"
7. Winsome Words Anthology Contest, First Prize, "The Aloe Plant on my Mother's Windowsill"
8. The Poetry Cafe Contest, First prize, Poem "Sea Glass"
9. The Stellar Literary Festival, Top Three, Poem "Nocturne"
10. The Stellar Literary Festival, Honourable Mention, Poem "Raison d'Etre"

Selected Anthologies:
1. Inanna Journal of Women Studies Anthology, York University 2015, "Women: Remembering Water"
2.. The Malahat Review, Open Seasons
3. Descant "Sicily" Anthology
4. Leaf Press "The Wild Weathers" Anthology
5. University of Toronto's Comparative Literature Journal, Anthology "Transverse"
6. University of Toronto Italian Canadiana
7. Canadian Voices Volume 1 and Volume 2 Anthologies
8. Arborealis Anthology - First prize winning poem - 2008
9. EnCompass 1 Anthology
10. Ascent Aspirations "Borderlines" and "The Crooked Ledge of Another Day" Anthologies
11. The Canada Cuba Literary Alliance, "Borderless Skies" Anthology

Books in Print:
Poetry:
1. "The Whispers of Stones" Beret Days Press
2. "Sea Glass" Espresso Bar Publishing
3. "The Red Accordion" Lyrical Myrical Press
4. "Letters from the Singularity" In Our Words Publishing
5. "A Jar of Fireflies" Mosaic Press

Non-fiction:
1. "How the Italians Created Canada" Dragon-Hill Press
2. "In the Name of Hockey" Friesen Press

Contact information:
Josie Di Sciascio-Andrews
122 Tracina Drive, Oakville, Ontario, L6L-4B7
Phone: 905-330-6659

Email: Josie