Wikipedia

Steven Rowley

Steven Rowley is an American novelist whose works include Lily and the Octopus (2016), The Guncle (2021) and The Celebrants (2023).

Steven Rowley
OccupationNovelist
LanguageEnglish
Alma materEmerson College
SubjectMagical realism, Gay literature
Notable worksLily and the Octopus
SpouseByron Lane
Website
www.stevenrowley.com

Career

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After writing a short story about the death of his dachshund, Lily, to cope with his grief,[1][2][3] Rowley expanded it into a novel.[2] He wrote Lily and the Octopus in 100 days and submitted it to approximately 30 literary agents, who all declined to represent him.[3] Rowley said of the manuscript, "I was proud of it as a piece of writing, but I never thought that this was going to change my life."[3] Intending to self-publish, Rowley hired freelance editor Molly Pisani, who later pitched the novel to her former colleague, Karyn Marcus of Simon & Schuster.[1][2][3] Impressed by the quality of the book,[1] Marcus forwarded it to Simon & Schuster editor-in-chief Marysue Rucci,[3] who instructed Marcus to buy it.[3] Lily and the Octopus was published on June 7, 2016.[3][4]

Rowley has since published six other novels: The Editor (2019);[5] The Guncle (2021)[6] and its sequel, The Guncle Abroad (2024);[7] The Celebrants (2023);[8] The Dogs of Venice (2025);[9] and Take Me with You (2026).[10]

He also published the children's picture book Our Guncle, illustrated by Eda Kaban, in May 2026.[11]

Novels

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  • Lily and the Octopus (2016)
  • The Editor (2019)
  • The Guncle (2021)
  • The Celebrants (2023)
  • The Guncle Abroad (2024)
  • The Dogs of Venice (2025)
  • Take Me with You (2026)

Personal life

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Rowley met writer Byron Lane on the dating site OKCupid in 2013. Lane proposed marriage in the acknowledgements of his 2020 novel A Star Is Bored, and the pair married in April 2021.[12][13]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Deahl, Rachel (April 3, 2015). "Surprise Project Becomes Simon & Schuster's Big London Book". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Lewis, Andy (April 10, 2015). "Screenwriter Nabs Near-Million-Dollar Deal for Debut Novel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bloomgarden-Smoke, Kara (January 13, 2016). "Meet the Unknown Author of the Next Blockbuster Novel". The New York Observer. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Lily and the Octopus". Kirkus Reviews. March 14, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ "The Editor". Kirkus Reviews. December 10, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Guncle". Kirkus Reviews. March 2, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Guncle Abroad". Kirkus Reviews. March 9, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  8. ↑ "The Celebrants". Kirkus Reviews. March 13, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  9. ↑ "The Dogs of Venice". Kirkus Reviews. August 29, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Take Me with You". Kirkus Reviews. April 20, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Our Guncle". Kirkus Reviews. January 19, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  12. ↑ Kaplan, Anna (June 21, 2023). "Author Steven Rowley's husband proposed to him in the acknowledgements of his book". Today. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  13. ↑ Dominguez, Aurora (June 29, 2023). "Big Gay Wedding". OutSFL. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
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