Ishmael and the Return of Dugongs

Michael Gerard Bauer was born in Brisbane and taught English and Economics at secondary schools for a number of years but now he devotes himself to full-time writing, school visits and Festival appearances. His first novel THE RUNNING MAN won the 2005 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers. Michael lives with his family near the beautiful Brisbane suburb of Ashgrove - the setting for THE RUNNING MAN. It is the suburb in which he grew up, where he went to school, where he spent several years teaching, where he met his wife and where, only a few streets away from his present house, in what used to be a private hospital, he was born. Sometimes Michael thinks he should get out more. Visit him at www.michaelgerardbauer.com.

Michael Gerard Bauer's hero is the classic underdog who with wit and quick-thinking outwits the bullies and - we hope - gets the girl.