diff --git a/orm/__init__.py b/orm/__init__.py
index 29570ed6..aac4e1ac 100644
--- a/orm/__init__.py
+++ b/orm/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from orm.user import User
 from orm.message import Message
 from orm.topic import Topic
 from orm.notification import Notification
-from orm.shout import Shout, ShoutAuthor
+from orm.shout import Shout, ShoutAuthor, ShoutTopic
 from orm.base import Base, engine
 
 __all__ = ["User", "Role", "Operation", "Permission", "Message", "Shout", "Topic", "Notification"]
diff --git a/orm/base.py b/orm/base.py
index 6ae1db7d..4df84b58 100644
--- a/orm/base.py
+++ b/orm/base.py
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ class Base(declarative_base()):
 			session.commit()
 		return self
 
+	def update(self, input):
+		column_names = self.__table__.columns.keys()
+		for (name, value) in input.items():
+			if name in column_names:
+				setattr(self, name, value)
+
 	def dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 		column_names = self.__table__.columns.keys()
 		return {c: getattr(self, c) for c in column_names}
diff --git a/orm/shout.py b/orm/shout.py
index a4304bb1..6810d2d6 100644
--- a/orm/shout.py
+++ b/orm/shout.py
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ class ShoutAuthor(Base):
 	shout = Column(ForeignKey('shout.id'), primary_key = True)
 	user = Column(ForeignKey('user.id'), primary_key = True)
 
-ShoutTopics = Table('shout_topics',
-	Base.metadata,
-	Column('shout', Integer, ForeignKey('shout.id')),
-	Column('topic', Integer, ForeignKey('topic.id'))
-)
+class ShoutTopic(Base):
+	__tablename__ = 'shout_topic'
+	
+	id = None
+	shout = Column(ForeignKey('shout.id'), primary_key = True)
+	topic = Column(ForeignKey('topic.id'), primary_key = True)
 
 class ShoutRatings(Base):
 	__tablename__ = "user_ratings"
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ class Shout(Base):
 	subtitle: str = Column(String, nullable = True)
 	layout: str = Column(String, nullable = True)
 	authors = relationship(lambda: User, secondary=ShoutAuthor.__tablename__) # NOTE: multiple authors
-	topics = relationship(lambda: Topic, secondary=ShoutTopics)
+	topics = relationship(lambda: Topic, secondary=ShoutTopic.__tablename__)
 	rating: int = Column(Integer, nullable=True, comment="Rating")
 	ratings = relationship(ShoutRatings, foreign_keys=ShoutRatings.shout_id)
 	old_id: str = Column(String, nullable = True)
diff --git a/resolvers/zine.py b/resolvers/zine.py
index 25016c70..fd01875a 100644
--- a/resolvers/zine.py
+++ b/resolvers/zine.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from orm import Shout, ShoutAuthor, User, Community, Resource
+from orm import Shout, ShoutAuthor, ShoutTopic, User, Community, Resource
 from orm.base import local_session
 
 from resolvers.base import mutation, query
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from settings import SHOUTS_REPO
 
 import subprocess
 import asyncio
+from datetime import datetime
 
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -108,16 +109,17 @@ async def update_shout(_, info, id, input):
 	auth = info.context["request"].auth
 	user_id = auth.user_id
 
-	with local_session() as session:
-		user = session.query(User).filter(User.id == user_id).first()
-		shout = session.query(Shout).filter(Shout.id == id).first()
+	session = local_session()
+	user = session.query(User).filter(User.id == user_id).first()
+	shout = session.query(Shout).filter(Shout.id == id).first()
 
 	if not shout:
 		return {
 			"error" : "shout not found"
 		}
 
-	if shout.authors[0] != user_id:
+	authors = [author.id for author in shout.authors]
+	if not user_id in authors:
 		scopes = auth.scopes
 		print(scopes)
 		if not Resource.shout_id in scopes:
@@ -125,14 +127,15 @@ async def update_shout(_, info, id, input):
 				"error" : "access denied"
 			}
 
-	shout.body = input["body"],
-	shout.replyTo = input.get("replyTo"),
-	shout.versionOf = input.get("versionOf"),
-	shout.tags = input.get("tags"),
-	shout.topics = input.get("topics")
+	shout.update(input)
+	shout.updatedAt = datetime.now()
+	session.commit()
+	session.close()
 
-	with local_session() as session:
-		session.commit()
+	for topic in input.get("topics"):
+		ShoutTopic.create(
+			shout = shout.id,
+			topic = topic)
 
 	task = GitTask(
 		input,
diff --git a/schema.graphql b/schema.graphql
index 3a0ed1f7..6bfb7c25 100644
--- a/schema.graphql
+++ b/schema.graphql
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ input ShoutInput {
   body: String!
   replyTo: String # another shout
   tags: [String] # actual values
-  topics: [String] # topic-slugs
+  topics: [Int]
   title: String
   subtitle: String
   versionOf: String