Author(s): Euan Mitchell

Early Teen

A novel based on the true story of a sixteen-year-old schoolboywho ran away from home with four dollars and hitchhiked around Australia. Daniel's exploits are a roller-coaster ride through a wild summer 'off the leash', the madness of share-house living, outback mustering of feral cattle, and nightclub excess. Told with driving energy, blunt honesty and dry humour, Feral Tracks shows why survival on the road means growing up fast.The National Library ofAustralia regards this adaptationas a first edition not a revised edition because it has been completely rewritten (line by line)although the storyline is similar. The addition of the subtitle (which appears on the title page and CiP data but not on thecover)makes the new version bibliographically unique. The first prelim page explains the evolution of the story for those interested.Feral Tracks captivated teenagers when first released in 1998, including reluctant male readers. Itwasshort-listed for a readers' choice award and optioned for a feature film. The screenplay was created in 2002 and, although not produced as a movie, inspired this newly rewritten version of the story. Feral Tracks: the novel adapted from the screenplay has transformed the travelogue style of the first publication into a more tightly structured story format for a fresh readership. Vulgar Pressis supportingits publication of the novel with freeStudy Notes, downloadable from vulgar.com.au, due tothe story'spopularity with Years 10 and 11 English classes in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.