David Ly

Promotional graphic for BC BookLook’s Who’s Who feature. The design uses muted blue and storm cloud tones with faint lightning in the background. The heading reads “BC BookLook Who’s Who” with “D is for David” below. A quoted description highlights David Ly’s debut fantasy novel Not All Dragons and its themes of myth, memory, destiny, and transformation. A circular badge reads “Coming May 19, 2026.” The book cover appears on the right, showing a dragon silhouette against a stormy sky.

Thank you @bcbooklook.bsky.social for the mention!
🐉: bcbooklook.com/david-ly/

A 3D mockup of the paperback cover of Not All Dragons by David Ly. The cover shows a dark blue and black silhouette of a person’s profile filled with lightning cracks, with two small dragon shapes flying near the head. The title appears in ornate gold lettering across the center, with the author’s name in matching gold at the bottom. The background is a pale, stormy sky with faint lightning, and the text “Coming May 19, 2026” appears to the right of the book.

⚡️Cover reveal!⚡️

I’m so excited to share the cover of my debut novel, Not All Dragons, beautifully designed by Jennifer Rawlinson at @wolsakandwynn.bsky.social. Pre-orders are now happening! Go show your local bookstore some love 💙

👉 bookstore.wolsakandwynn.ca/products/not...

⚡️Cover Incoming⚡️

🐉 A hunt for the truth beneath story and prophecy
🐉 Mermaids, witches, and transformative magic
🐉 “A fascinating and fresh take on dragons and destiny”

Designed by the wonderful team at @wolsakandwynn.bsky.social. Coming very soon!

#NotAllDragons #CanLit #FantasyBook

“Promotional graphic with a soft grey, textured background resembling dragon scales. Centered text reads: ‘Not All Dragons included in Most Anticipated Spring 2026 Fiction. Thank you, 49thShelf.’ At the bottom, smaller text reads: ‘Coming May 19, 2026.’”

“Promotional graphic with a pale, textured background. Text introduces the novel Not All Dragons by David Ly, describing a character named Rhys who awakens with no memory in a magical land and begins a journey with a mermaid named Delia to uncover his past, destiny, and the truth beneath story and prophecy.”

Thank you, @49thshelf.bsky.social! Coming May 19⚡️

Digital graphic featuring layered feather- or scale-like textures in shades of blue, purple, and black. Centered text reads ‘The world of Not All Dragons’ above the large title ‘Lanilia.’ Below that, smaller text reads ‘Look for a beginning, lose the way back.’ Along the bottom: ‘Poplar Press, an imprint of Wolsak and Wynn’ and ‘May 2026.’

Cold days mean dreaming of warmer places until they feel real. Step into the world my novel, Not All Dragons, this coming spring. @wolsakandwynn.bsky.social
🏔️🌊🌩️
#NotAllDragons #FantasyNovel #CanLit #Fantasy

This holiday season, give the gift of queer little nightmares and mythic, dreamy poetry.

Big edits are done. The story found its shape. Just tidying up the last typos the fay scattered behind.
@wolsakandwynn.bsky.social Spring 2026

The book announcement of Ritual, Interrupted by David Ly. The design is stark and striking, with deep black and muted gray tones. A white serif title sits centered above the skeletal image of a creature, giving it a solemn and elegant feel.

A simple announcement graphic with soft neutral tones. The text reads: Ritual, Interrupted — Fall 2026 with a poem excerpt “white talons etch / runes onto a rib cage to denote where / forgiveness has begun, complete once / you feel safe and brave enough to put / the heart back in.”

My ritual is set. The interruption arrives Fall 2026. My next book of poems, Ritual, Interrupted, is on its way with Anstruther Books, @palimpsestpress.bsky.social
🦇🦇🦇

A laptop screen displays a Word document titled “NOT ALL DRAGONS, A Novel, David Ly,” with “DRAGONS” in red text, shown during a hot summer day while the author edits the manuscript.

Editing my dragons on a day hot enough to hatch some. #NotAllDragons. @wolsakandwynn.bsky.social
🥚🔥

A close-up image of soft, pale orchids pressed against a rain-speckled window. The text on the image reads: “The Cortland Review, Issue 94 – New Poem: Florence by David Ly.” The mood is gentle and reflective, evoking the emotional resonance of music and poetry.

Not a love letter, exactly—but maybe something close.
🫀
“Florence” is now in Issue 94 of The Cortland Review. Inspired by the music of Florence + The Machine. Thank you @christiangullette.bsky.social for giving this poem space: www.cortlandreview.com/issue-94/dav...

A majestic golden dragon wing, illuminated by soft, ethereal light, stretches over a sky filled with swirling clouds. Centered in a translucent text box, the words read: “Signed. Sealed. Not All Dragons are myth. Coming Spring 2026.” The overall tone is mythical, mysterious, and full of quiet anticipation.

The contract is signed. The wings have stirred. Not All Dragons is coming Spring 2026.

Woke up. Napped. 10/10 would recommend.

An image of a fire salamander with text overlayed reading “new poem, PRISM International 63.1 | Spells, ‘New Familar’, David Ly”

New year, new poem—catch my poem “New Familiar” in PRISM international’s SPELLS issue.

A graphic announcing David Ly’s debut speculative fantasy novel, Not All Dragons. The title text is overtop a close-up of reptilian scales. The novel comes out Spring 2026 from Poplar Press, an imprint of Wolsak and Wynn

My debut novel, Not All Dragons, is coming in spring 2026.
🐲✨ 🐲
A speculative fantasy about grief, transformation, and the myths we feel beholden to.
✨ 🐲✨
Can’t wait to share more soon.

🦇✝️🩸

An image of SAD magazine’s Sex issue cover

A cover of Mythical Man: Poems by David Ly. The image notes themes that appear in the book: chthonic imagery, nuances of queer love, and subversions of masculinity

SAD Mag is having a sale on their SEX ISSUE! Printed in the summer of 2020, the issue was nominated for two National Magazine Awards and includes an interview I did for my debut poetry collection Mythical Man.
💦
Pick up your copy in the next week for something sexxxy: www.sadmag.ca/shop/issue-n...

An image of the cover of the poetry collection Mythical Man by David Ly. There is text on the image thanking readers who have read the book in the last five years.

As we ring in the year of the snake in the coming days, 2025 marks five years of Mythical Man!🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍. Thank you to all my readers! Can’t wait to show you what’s coming next. Soon. ish. 🤫

a cat is playing with an apple laptop on a table Alt: a cat is playing with an apple laptop on a table

📣 Submissions Call!📣 I’m the Poetry Editor at This Magazine and am currently looking for poems to fill our 2025 issues!
✍️
Pls send up to 3 poems to poetry[at]this[dot]org. We publish only in print and Canadian residents only. Can’t wait to see what you send in!

a cat is playing with an apple laptop on a table Alt: a cat is playing with an apple laptop on a table

📣 Submissions Call!📣 I’m the Poetry Editor at This Magazine and am currently looking for poems to fill our 2025 issues!
✍️
Pls send up to 3 poems to poetry[at]this[dot]org. We publish only in print and Canadian residents only. Can’t wait to see what you send in!

A screenshot of The Tyee's new Weekender section. On a mint-green background, the Weekender logo with the slogan "Art. Life. Ideas." reads underneath it. And, the Weekender's first three stories on Taylor Swift, Derek Guy and Firelei Báez, as well as our launch article.

Hard-launch: The Tyee’s first Weekender is here! ☕️👓✨

Every Friday night to Monday morning, you'll see a costume change on TheTyee.ca and find all your weekend reads. 🧵

thetyee.ca/Tyeenews/202...

A photo of a calico cat resting in her furry blue bed.

Bluesky, meet Liz.

Over a starry night sky are the words: "New Poem Dragon Hunting Plenitude Magazine" in the centre of the image if is the light blue silhouette of a dragon.

A close-up of the feathers of a vulture, cast in a maroon light. "New Poem SAD MAG | ONLINE" is in small white text at the top while "RITUAL, INTERRUPTED" is in red. My name, "David Ly" is in white at the bottom.

An image of swirling beige overtop a blue background. The words "Carte blanche | Issue 49: Play" is in white while the poem title "ODE TO KINDRED, THE ETERNAL HUNTERS" is centred with my name "David Ly" beneath. At the bottom of the image is white text reading: "A poem inspired by League of Legends"

Some recent poems of mine! Thank you Plenitude, SAD Mag, and carte blanche for giving my writing space💙

Dragon Hunting: plenitudemagazine.ca/dragon-hunti...
Ritual, Interrupted: www.sadmag.ca/blog/2024/6/...
Ode to Kindred, the Eternal Hunters: carteblanchemagazine.com/issue-49/ly-...

An image of the front covers of MYTHICAL MAN (pink and light green text over green snake skin) and DREAM OF ME AS WATER (white and yellow text over a blue and gold betta fish fin. Both books are surrounded by leaves and vines of a pothos plant.

The cover of QUEER LITTLE NIGHTMARES: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MONSTROUS FICTION AND POETRY (Edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli). The cover is a purple with a green, webbed monster hand ending in long pink nails.

Hello, Blue Sky! My name is David Ly (pronounced "Lee") and I'm a poet, editor, and writer and these are my books. I’m also the Poetry Editor at This Magazine 📖.

Follow along as I post more new writing and announcements!👋

“NECROMANTIC” is in a gold serif font and underneath are the word “A Short Story by David Ly, The Ex-Puritan, issue 64”. All text is over a light purple gradient on top of coral and anemones

Thank you for giving my story a home, @ex-puritan.bsky.social and @anuja-v.bsky.social
🪸
Time to raise the dead: ex-puritan.ca/necromantic

Oceans That Glow: On the Timeless Beauty of Bioluminescence Some years ago I was returning to my island house in Maine, under a dark night sky, and I noticed that the wake of the boat was glowing. As far as I could tell, it was bluish in color. That was my …

“Bioluminescence, like most all distinctive traits, evolved to attract mates, defend against predators, and aid in the hunt for food.” Alan Lightman on the power and beauty of an illuminating oceanic phenomenon.

Hi friends! Quick note to apologize for any delays in shipping 🥲 We’re trying our best but courier companies are swamped. Please allow a few extra days for delivery. If you have any concerns about an order placed at palimpsestpress.ca, please email us at info(at)palimpsestpress.ca for help! Thanks!

Over a starry night sky are the words: "New Poem Dragon Hunting Plenitude Magazine" in the centre of the image if is the light blue silhouette of a dragon.

A close-up of the feathers of a vulture, cast in a maroon light. "New Poem SAD MAG | ONLINE" is in small white text at the top while "RITUAL, INTERRUPTED" is in red. My name, "David Ly" is in white at the bottom.

An image of swirling beige overtop a blue background. The words "Carte blanche | Issue 49: Play" is in white while the poem title "ODE TO KINDRED, THE ETERNAL HUNTERS" is centred with my name "David Ly" beneath. At the bottom of the image is white text reading: "A poem inspired by League of Legends"

Some recent poems of mine! Thank you Plenitude, SAD Mag, and carte blanche for giving my writing space💙

Dragon Hunting: plenitudemagazine.ca/dragon-hunti...
Ritual, Interrupted: www.sadmag.ca/blog/2024/6/...
Ode to Kindred, the Eternal Hunters: carteblanchemagazine.com/issue-49/ly-...

An image of the front covers of MYTHICAL MAN (pink and light green text over green snake skin) and DREAM OF ME AS WATER (white and yellow text over a blue and gold betta fish fin. Both books are surrounded by leaves and vines of a pothos plant.

The cover of QUEER LITTLE NIGHTMARES: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MONSTROUS FICTION AND POETRY (Edited by David Ly and Daniel Zomparelli). The cover is a purple with a green, webbed monster hand ending in long pink nails.

Hello, Blue Sky! My name is David Ly (pronounced "Lee") and I'm a poet, editor, and writer and these are my books. I’m also the Poetry Editor at This Magazine 📖.

Follow along as I post more new writing and announcements!👋

A close-up image of the ends fins belonging to a blue betta fish. The text “DREAM OF ME AS WATER” are overlayed in blocky white text with “Choir Adaptation,” “Stuart Beatch, Composer” beneath in smaller white text.

My poem “Dream of Me as Water” recently received a choir adaption by Stuart Beatch and performed by Ottawa’s Tone Cluster choir. It’s giving open-world video game vibes! Have a listen!
🌊🎶🎧: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnZt...

Thank you for publishing SIREN SEASON, Plenitude Magazine!
🖤 🦑
My little story about finding light in the dark, treading through uncomfortable moments, and weird and slimy sirens: plenitudemagazine.ca/siren-season/