Emma Bamford is a journalist and author, who has worked for several prominent publications including Sailing Today, the Daily Mirror, the Independent, BOAT International, and the Daily Express. She grew up in the East Midlands with her younger brother and sister, and pursued her interests in English Literature and Journalism at Southampton University and UCLan. Bamford began her journalistic career at the Bicester Review and the Derby Evening Telegraph, where she gained experience in reporting and news editing.
After working in journalism for several years, Bamford decided to take a career break and pursue her love for sailing. She answered an advertisement for a 'crew wanted' position and ended up living on a boat in Borneo with a man she had never met and his cat. During this time, she had various adventures, including hunting for elephants in the jungle, visiting deserted islands, and running from pirates. Eventually, she found work as a stewardess on a superyacht in Italy, where she encountered billionaires and further expanded her horizons. Bamford's experiences during this period formed the basis of her first book, Casting Off, which was published by Bloomsbury.
Bamford is a graduate of the University of East Anglia's Prose Fiction MA, and has written two travel memoirs about her sailing experiences, Casting Off and Untie the Lines. Deep Water is her first novel, and her next thriller was published in summer 2023. Bamford lives in the UK and continues to work as a freelance journalist while pursuing her passion for writing novels. She is known for her tropical settings and self-deprecating humor, and is serious about exploring what is important in life and finding the freedom to be who she wants to be.