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Sheila Philip Cochrane Burnford née Every (11 May 1918 – 20 April 1984) was a British Canadian writer.

Born in Scotland and brought up in various parts of the United Kingdom, she attended St. George's School, Edinburgh, and Harrogate Ladies College. She also attended schools in France and Germany. In 1941 she married Dr. David Burnford, with whom she had three children. During World War II she worked as a volunteer ambulance driver. In 1951 she emigrated to Canada, settling in Port Arthur, Ontario.

Burnford is best remembered for The Incredible Journey, published by Hodder & Stoughton with illustrations by Carl Burger in 1960. The story of three animal pets traveling in the wilderness won the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award in 1963 and the ALA Aurianne Award in 1963 as the best book on animal life written for children ages 8–14. It is marketed for children but Burnford has stated that it was not intended as a children's book. It was a modest success commercially and became a bestseller after release of the 1963 Disney film, The Incredible Journey (which was remade in 1993 as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey). Another book, Bel Ria, about a dog's survival in wartime, was based on her own experiences as an ambulance driver.