ELYSIA ROURKE
2025 SHORT FICTION CONTEST JUDGE

Elysia is a middle grade author and stay at home mom. Her debut novel, Whale Fall, is slated for publication with Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books in 2026. Whale Fall follows in the tradition of Black Beauty and The One and Only Ivan, in which a young orca who dreams of becoming the matriarch and storyteller of her pod undergoes an emotional journey from wild animal to a life in captivity. 

 

Elysia’s short fiction has been published in magazines including Moonlit Getaway, Elegant Literature, and Fairfield Scribes. She has placed in contests including winning Egg + Frog’s Inspirathlon, second place in Writer’s Playground’s Tenth Challenge, and fourth in NYC Midnight’s 500-word challenge. Her short stories can be found in anthologies including Howl (Graveside Press, 2025) and Figments and Fragments (TL;DR Press, 2024). 

 

Elysia is the founder of the Almonte Writers Guild and fiction editor for The LAM, a literary arts magazine that features artists, writers, and poets from Lanark County, Ontario. She is on the board of directors of Almonte Readers & Writers, a non-profit dedicated to presenting literary events and programs within Lanark County. She is represented by Rachel Ekstrom Courage at Courage Literary. Elysia’s writing can be found on her website. 

 

Elysia currently lives in Almonte, Ontario with her husband, two sons, and dog. She has a weakness for London fogs, Christmas morning, and a salty ocean breeze.