ABOUT

David Allan-Petale is a writer from Perth, Western Australia.

David writes about people struggling to define and defend their identities in a ruthless world, distilling a different kind of Australian experience into page-turning literary works.

His debut novel Locust Summer is set for publication with Fremantle Press in June, 2021. 

The manuscript was shortlisted for the 2017 The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award, with judge Stephen Romei praising it as ‘a sharp meditation on the separation of life from land.’

Locust Summer was selected for a development fellowship at Varuna, The National Writers’ House, which kindled an 18-month road trip around Australia in a caravan where David explored the country with his young family while advancing the manuscript, typing ‘the end’ on a beach at Kalbarri.

David is now back home in Perth working on a new book, raising two daughters with his beautiful wife, all while restoring a yacht in the driveway.

He runs the copywriting business Red Platypus with his wife Carmen, and they host The Committed Creative podcast together.