Michael Gerard Bauer is a renowned Australian author born in 1955 in Brisbane, Australia. He left his full-time position as an English and Economics teacher in 2000 to pursue a career in writing. In 2004, his first young adult novel, The Running Man, was published to critical acclaim, winning the 2005 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year for Older Readers and being short-listed for the NSW, Victoria, and South Australian State Premiers’ Literary awards.

His work has been recognized internationally, with the German translation of The Running Man being short-listed for the German Youth Literature Prize and winning the German Catholic Children’s and Young People’s Book Prize. The Italian version was also a finalist for the “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento” Prize.

Among his other notable works are the Don’t Call Me Ishmael! series, Just a Dog, and the Eric Vale series, the latter of which won the 2014 BILBY Award. Bauer's books have been translated into numerous languages and are featured as school texts worldwide. He continues to be a full-time writer and frequently participates in festivals and workshops around the world.