Matteo l.
Cerilli
(he/him)
Matteo L. Cerilli (he/him) is a transmasc author and activist specializing in speculative fiction for all ages. His work features the YA horror novel LOCKJAW (Tundra, 2024); middle grade ghost story SOMETHING'S UP WITH ARLO (Harper Collins Canada, 2025); YA noir BAD IN THE BLOOD (Tundra, 2025); young YA gamer action CALL2ARMS (Bloomsbury, 2026); a featured short story in BURY YOUR GAYS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF TRAGIC QUEER HORROR (Ghoulish Books, 2024); and poetry in Augur magazine. His activism work has included setting up gender care for trans students at York University, helping to found the Students for Queer Liberation—Tkaronto, and organizing with the No Pride in Policing Coalition.
Publications
Novels
CALL2ARMS: A young YA novel to Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury US (Winter 2026).
BAD IN THE BLOOD: A YA novel to Peter Phillips at Tundra Books (Fall 2025).
SOMETHING'S UP WITH ARLO: A middle grade novel to Harper Collins Canada (Spring 2025).
LOCKJAW: A YA horror novel to Peter Phillips at Tundra Books (Summer 2024).
Journalism
ATTACKS ON TRANS RIGHTS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING: To the Grind magazine (Summer 2023).
Short Stories
WORTH THE DYING SHAME: To Ghoulish books for the BURY YOUR GAYS Anthology (Spring 2024).
HEY, JACKY: To Inventio (2021).
Poetry
STAR BRIGHT: To Augur Magazine (Fall 2023).
BATHROOM CHATTTER: To Augur Magazine (Fall 2022). Longlisted for the Short category in the 2023 Rhysling Awards.
Editing
LITTLE BIRD STORIES, VOLUME III: A short story anthology to Invisible Publishing (Spring 2022).
14:47 by Samuel Guevara: A collection of poetry (Winter and Spring 2021).
FARFALLA, by Jalaena DiPasquale: A collection of poetry (Spring 2020).
Accolades
WHITE PINE AWARD: Nominee in the YS category of the Forest of Reading program, for Lockjaw.
RHYSLING AWARD: Nominee in the short poetry category, for the poem Bathroom Chatter published in Augur Magazine, from the Science Fiction Poetry Association (2023).
DEAN'S AWARD FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE: An award of $5000 from York University to study the Toronto Bathhouse Raids with scholar Dr. Tom Hooper. Also awarded an honourable mention for best research poster (Summer 2023).
RHODES SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDEREE: For high-achieving and change-making students (2022 and 2023).
bpNICHOL AWARD: For an exceptional student writer as nominated by the York University Creative Writing faculty (2022).
PRESIDENT’S PRIZE: The best short story from the overall York University student body, for The Reverb: A Ghost Story (2022). Also an honourable mention for Worth the Dying Shame (2023).
DANIEL WHITTAKER-VAN DUSEN AWARD: To a poem that “explores, provokes, and challenges” from the overall York University student body for Parkour Gym, Oct. 6th (2022). Also an honourable mention for Masculinity in the Year of our Damnation, 2022 (2023).
ADRIENNE GRAGO MEMORIAL AWARD: To the best short story from a third year Creative Writing student at York University, for More Than One Way (2021).
LAPS AWARDS HONOURABLE MENTION: One of two honourable mentions for non-fiction work, from the Language and Professional Studies department at York University (2020).
CHARLES EDWARD RATHE SCHOLARSHIP: For the highest first-year GPA in York University's Founders College (2019).
Education
York University
BACHELOR OF ARTS WITH HONOURS: graduated summa cum laude, with a double-major in both Creative Writing, and in Professional Writing: Digital Authoring and Publishing.