I write about survival and strength and slippery truths.
I write about the hard ways to love, and the easy ones.
I write to cage the shadows.

Shortlisted for 2025 Guernica Prize for Literary Fiction

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Sample Chapter

Meet Shirley

Shirley Hay is an emerging author from the flatlands of the Canadian prairies. Her writing is informed by a background in psychology and family support, including neurodiverse children and those with mental health concerns. Her writing has been published in various anthologies and magazines, including Vine Leaves Press, Another Chance to Get it Right: A New Year’s Eve Anthology, Creation: A Literary Magazine, Off Topic Publishing, and has been featured on various podcasts. Her debut novel, Fault Lines, which was a finalist in the 2025 Guernica Prize for Literary Fiction, comes out in November, 2026. Shirley lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with her family.

Gratefully living and writing on Treaty 1 Territory, ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk Nations, and the homeland of the Red River MĂ©tis.

  • "Shirley Hay weaves past and present into a compelling story of family, trauma, and survival. Honest and moving."

    Praise for Fault Lines - Robert Hough, author of The Marriage of Rose Camilleri & Anarchist in Love

  • "I always love a 'rising from the ashes' style story, and this one is that and then some. It's exquisitely written, heartbreakingly sad, and full of hope."

    Praise for Righting My World —Desi Stowe, author of Done and Shadows

  • “I hope to see your work in libraries everywhere in the not too distant future, because it's that good.”

    Praise for The Commission — Megan, Reader

  • [A] rich and moving exploration of what becomes possible when we open ourselves to each other, and what we lose when we don't."

    Praise for Fault Lines - Ruth Taylor, author of Even the Birds

  • "Beautiful writing."

    Praise for Kissed by a Fish — Gayle Nemeth, author of The Blizzard

  • "The story tugs on your heartstrings and makes you hopeful at the same time."

    Praise for Righting My World —Eliza Vaccaro, author of Winter: A Short Story

  • "Right from the opening scene, the dramatic propulsion never lags and makes it hard to put this book down."

    Praise for Fault Lines -Donna Besel, author of The Unravelling: Incest and the Destruction of a Family

  • "I love the way you take us through your experience."

    Praise for Kissed by a Fish — Kirk, Reader