Carly-Jay Metcalfe was born with cystic fibrosis and has survived a double-lung transplant at the age of twenty-one and faced a rare cancer at the age of thirty. Her debut memoir 'Breath' (UQP) was published in February 2024 to critical acclaim.

Her writing has appeared in Griffith Review, Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, Kill Your Darlings and TEXT journal.

At the 2024 Queensland Literary Awards, Breath won the Queensland Book of the Year People's Choice Award.