Poet, novelist & editor
A new poetry collection, arriving September 2026
“A captivating and exquisite self-study.”— Gillian Sze
“Shift and shimmer like a night garden.”— Leah Horlick
“Slays his demons with a true poet’s heart.”— Matthew Walsh
By David Ly
Austin Clarke Prize winner, 2021
Years after being asked, where are you from?I realized that I should’ve answered:did you know that when seawater meetsfreshwater in the ocean,a boundary formsbetween them?Though they appear to not bemixing, it does happen, slowlyand over time: two bodies, two placesof belongingcoming together.Despite efforts to keep usapart, to manifestan individualway of being,the parts that make up who we are,in a sense, are part of the same ocean.
There is no other way to thinkabout this metaphor, only a grandfatherwho rigged his boat with a tractor engineto give the family a better life,speeding acrosswater with a fewbelongings,carrying an ocean’sworth of culturethat’s filtered downgenerationally.
When asked where I’m fromagain, I’d say that a man oncedreamed of more before turninghis gazetowards the ocean where twodifferent bodies of water metand blended until he madelandfall,attempting to walkforward knowing that his existencewas forever bound to two places.
“Same Ocean is an exceptional piece of writing.”— Jordan Abel
Poetry collection
Cover art by Jess Stanley
A poetic grimoire where imagined worlds become places of self-discovery, and vulnerability and imagination become radical acts of resistance.
Fantasy novel
In a land of magic and myth where memory is a weapon, a boy with no wings and a stolen name must decide what he will become.
Poetry collection
A fluid meditation on identity, love, and ways of being that refuse the expectations of others.
Debut poetry collection
Tenderness, toxic masculinity, queer love, race, and identity mingle in a debut that builds—and then tears down—an army of men.
Fiction and poetry anthology
Cover art by Jazmin Welch
Queer writers reimagine monsters old and new, subverting the horror gaze to celebrate identities once pushed into the shadows.
“Lush world-building, gripping adventure and luminous imagery come together as one in Not All Dragons, David Ly’s dreamy fiction debut.”— Kai Cheng Thom
“Not All Dragons is an invitation into a wholly original magical world, a world of mermaids, monsters, witches and dragons. Ly’s prose is infused with a poet’s lyricism and a terrific storyteller’s gift for spinning a sparkling tale.”— Anuja Varghese
“Long after you read the last page, you will be awestruck by Ly’s multifaceted imagination.”— Lindsay Wong
Death would cast its circle aroundme leaving little time to decide ifthe end should enter by way ofWolf’s teeth or upon Lamb’s swift,unwavering light-tipped arrows:both sensed me coming undone asI quivered being their next mark. Bow raised with anticipation for asurrender, silver smoke spillingfrom between teeth, relentless for ahunt. There was nothing to be donebut sigh with relief as Lamb dancedher feather-heavy arrows into my chest.
I pull arrows out of my chest, crushthem between the ground and mypalm. A silver ring forms aroundme, giving brief respite from theend. Lamb laughs as I reverseDeath’s cycle while Wolf circles,livid that he may not taste mewithin his maw. Not here, not yet. Not a step out, I remain on theblood-blessed ground for the healto finish. The veil fades, I stepthrough, dance between arrows,turn the hunt back onto them,Lamb huffing, “Now, Wolf.”
“A wild and rewarding poetic ride.”— Jen Sookfong Lee
“Blooms in resplendent colours.”— Adèle Barclay
David Ly is the author of Mythical Man and Dream of Me as Water, both shortlisted for ReLit Poetry Awards, and the fantasy novel Not All Dragons.
He co-edited Queer Little Nightmares with Daniel Zomparelli. David is Poetry Editor at This Magazine and serves on the editorial board of Poplar Press, the speculative fiction imprint of Wolsak & Wynn.
His writing lives at the intersection of river and sea, memory and myth, queerness and kinship, inheritance and becoming.
PoetrySpeculative fictionEditorial
“Thick with desire, and self-interrogation, these poems reject normative ideas of manhood to create something new.”