Sarah Polley Books In Order

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Collections

Sarah Polley is a Canadian producer, actor, writer, and director and is one of the best-known and most talented authors in Canada. Polley knew she wanted to write books when she was just seven, even if she would take another trajectory early on.

By the tail end of the 20th century, she was an in-demand child actor that performed in tremendous Holywood and independent films and in television series.

She would, later on, become an Academy-nominated screenwriter and renowned actress, actor, and filmmaker.

Her first full-length documentary titled “Stories We Tell” was a showcase of the complications of memory and storytelling, in which she used her family history as a starting point.

While book writing took a back seat for years, she finally decided it was time she pursued that dream and became a published author. She ultimately published “Run Towards Danger” in 2022 since she felt she had accomplished a lot.

By this time, she had worked with directors such as Kathryn Bigelow and directed actors such as Michelle Williams and Julie Christie.
Her work is an incisive and visceral collection of personal essays addressing issues such as motherhood, exploitation of child actors, grief, the slippery nature of memory, high-risk pregnancy, and sexual assault.

Starting out as a child actor, Sarah Polley gave unaffected and natural performances on TV series such as “Road to Avonlea” on CBC, and in “Exotica,” the popular film by Atom Egoyan.
People often remarked that she had an intelligence and maturity that belied her age and that she would definitely become a star when she grew up.

Sarah’s unmistakable talent probably had to do with the fact that she was the daughter of Diane Polley the actress and casting director. Her father was Michael Poly the insurance salesman and former actor who had wowed British audiences for years.

Aged only four, she made her acting debut in the 1985 film “One Magic Christmas” by Philip Borsos. She would then make an appearance in several television series and films.
She earned leading roles in Ramona the children’s series on PBS, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen the epic fantasy by Terry Gillian.

When she was not working on award-winning movies and TV series, she went to the Toronto-based Earl Haig Secondary School where she was a student of the Claude Watson Arts Program.
It was during her teenage years that she got involved in politics, which would ultimately result in her quitting school to devote herself to left-wing political activism.

After several years of working as an activist, Sarah Polley was granted the Order of Canada for her efforts in fighting for women’s rights.

It was about this time that she got a severe concussion which resulted in significant downtime. As part of her therapy, the doctors advised that she try to take on activities that resulted in discomfort.
It was this advice that partly drove Polley to pen the essay collection that would become her blockbuster memoir “Run Towards Danger” in 2022. In this work, she explored the many difficult incidents from her life.

In “Run towards the Danger” by Sarah Polley, the author writes several essays that are a celebration of her work as a director, screenwriter, and actor with deep humanity, complexity, and honesty.
In each of the essays, she brings her best qualities in combination with exquisite storytelling to capture the many experiences of her life.

In the same breath, she examines the possibility of experiencing the past from new perspectives, the mutability of reality, and the fallibility of memory.

Polley writes stories about her life that range from endangerment, high-risk childbirth, and stage fright among many others.

When she was dealing with the effects of her concussion, she had been given new advice by her specialist. She had been told that she would recover by retraining her mind by doing activities that had been responsible for triggering her symptoms.
She shows how one can apply that very advice to other areas of life to find a way through or a path forward when things get tough.

Rather than live in a defensive crouch, she learned that it is always best to run towards risk and danger as it more often than not pays the best rewards.

“Away from Her” by Alice Munro with a Preface by Sarah Polley has to be one of the best short stories that introduce Grant and Fiona.

The author explores the concept of love while providing a very realistic perspective on how it tends to evolve over the years.

The couple has been together for years and Grant has often been unfaithful as a husband. The author gets into his mind trying to find out what he was thinking when he had an affair.
There is a condemnation of Grant’s need to break his marriage vows over and over again. However, Fina is introduced as an elderly woman who is suffering from advanced-stage Alzheimer which means she has to live in a hospice.

As Grant got used to the loneliness of his life and the weekly visits, he started stepping out just so he could live a little.

The author has a keen eye that captures both the soft and hard edges of love and the unexpected selfishness of someone that has to do things he never imagined he ever would.
Overall, the author asserts that just like humans are not perfect, it is not practical to expect love to be perfect.

“How to Host a Dinner Party” by Corey Mints with an introduction by Sarah Polley teaches people how to throw the perfect dinner.

Everybody has once upon a time had a moment when they are a few minutes from the time the guests start trooping in when they are unsure of themselves.

You start thinking maybe you have not bought enough wine, or maybe not enough seating, or maybe one of the guests is a vegan or vegetarian. Hosting a party can be an unnerving moment if you don’t know how to better prepare for it.

The author Corey Mintz has hosted more than 115 dinner parties as he has opened his home to friends and strangers as he attempted to perfect the art of hosting. In How to Host a Dinner Party, the author shares all that he has ever gleaned over the years.

It is a hilarious guide on everything one needs to know about hosting including the golden rule of always having fun and not showing off your cooking chops.

It comes with expert analysis, anecdotes, recipes, and endless how-to tips on how to host a great dining party. It is a great book that will appeal to both beginners and seasoned hosts looking to build upon their skills.