Melbourne-based Euan Mitchell graduated from Melbourne University as a maths and music teacher. In 1993 he began working as a writer and editor for Ausmusic (a publisher of educational resources for contemporary music) and later went on to work as a senior editor at Reed Publishing.
Drawing on 'his own experiences as a homeless teen', Mitchell was motivated to write his first novel which he hoped might 'make a difference to young adults struggling with issues such as homelessness, family breakdown, suicide and drugs'. After having his manuscript rejected by twenty-five publishers and literary agents, Mitchell determined to self-publish his work; Feral Tracks (1998) subsequently sold 5,000 copies in the first year of its publication. Inspired by the success of his own self-publishing venture, Mitchell began conducting workshops and subsequently wrote Self-Publishing Made Simple: The Ultimate Australian Guide (2000). Mitchell has since established his own publishing company, Overdog Press (q.v.).
In addition to writing and editing, Mitchell has been a musician and a songwriter. He has also been involved in youth programmes for individuals who have been 'disassociated from schooling as a result of homelessness, imprisonment and other issues'.
(Sources: Mitchell, Self-Publishing Made Simple (2000); Belinda Mills, 'Profiles : Euan Mitchell,' Writing Queensland, August (2000): 19.)
