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Dora Sanders Carney

1903 – 1986

Canadian journalist

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About Dora Sanders Carney

Lived 1903 – 1986 (aged 83). Dora Sanders Carney was a Canadian journalist.

Dora Sanders Carney was a Canadian journalist who lived in occupied Shanghai during the onset of the Second World War.

Early life Dora May Sanders was born in Capetown, South Africa, in 1903. She spent time growing up in Umpata territory South Africa, until her family moved back to Cape Town, then to England, and on to Canada. She married Jim Carney in 1934.

Career

Carney is best known for her writings on the time she lived in Shanghai. She arrived in Shanghai in 1933, and described the city as an "exhilarating and bewildering experience". She was one of the approximately 250 Canadians living in Shanghai at the time, and she would ultimately spend six years living in Shanghai. She was a resident there in August 1937 when Japanese troops attacked Shanghai. Carney would later describe the situation to a Toronto newspaper. Sanders left Shanghai after the attack to go to Hong Kong sailed on the Empress of Canada. Carney returned to Shanghai in 1938. While there she worked for the advertising company Millington, Ltd.

In 1961, Dora and Jim moved to Saturna Island. There, Dora wrote a column, "Gulf Islands Vignette," for the Victoria Times-Colonist newspaper.

In 1980 Sanders published a book about her experience in Shanghai, Foreign Devils Had Light Eyes; she was 77 when her book was published. Her second book was to be titled Gotta, Gotta, Gotta.

Selected publications

Personal life Her sister, Byrne Hope Sanders, was the editor of the Canadian magazine Chatalaine. Carney had four children,

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Important facts

People in Dora Sanders Carney's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dora Sanders Carney's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dora Sanders Carney?

Canadian journalist

When was Dora Sanders Carney born?

Dora Sanders Carney was born on 12 September 1903 in Cape Town.

When did Dora Sanders Carney die?

Dora Sanders Carney died on 18 September 1986 in Saturna Island.

What was Dora Sanders Carney's occupation?

Dora Sanders Carney was a journalist.

What nationality was Dora Sanders Carney?

Dora Sanders Carney was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dora Sanders Carney

· Wikidata: Q125769905

· DBpedia: Dora Sanders Carney

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dora Sanders Carney. https://biography.guide/dora-sanders-carney/

MLA: "Dora Sanders Carney." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dora-sanders-carney/.

Chicago: "Dora Sanders Carney." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dora-sanders-carney/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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