David Uptin - Salty Submission
David Uptin is an emerging writer, currently living in Magandjin/Meanjin (Brisbane), and originally from Yugambeh country (the Gold Coast). He’d also like to note that the location he discusses in his piece for Roots is on Yuin country. He has been published in Scratch That magazine, is one of the 2024 editors for the QUT Literary Salon, and is currently in his final year of studying Creative Writing at QUT. He is currently working on two novels – a queer romance exploring the relationship between religion and sexuality, and a young adult novel involving a famous actress disappearing and a teenage girl in a small Australian town who investigates the mystery. He loves writing contemporary, realistic fiction about mental health, healing, the Australian landscape, and his own insecurities and obsessions manifested in fictional characters. When not writing or reading, David can be found watching BookTube, listening to Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, or Beyonce, going for solo walks in the park, and attempting to cook.