Book and phone display hardcover of 'The Runner' by Samuel Carter with close-up of a person's face, showing an eye with a reflection, water droplets on skin, and wet hair, emphasizing a survival story theme.
Book cover and smartphone displaying "The Runner: A Memoir" by Samuel Carter, featuring a close-up black and white photo of a person's face with a focus on the eye and face outdoors, with water droplets on the skin, and the title and author's name.

Some Decisions Break Your Life.

Others Rebuild It.

A true story about surviving homelessness, suicide loss, fatherlessness, the streets, gangs, and the long road to becoming the person you choose to be.

The Runner Book Logo. Samuel Carter Books. A young boy running away, wearing a hoodie and pants, with a dark background.

This is the real story of a young boy who had to learn to survive on the streets and is living proof that change is possible.

Where you start doesn’t have to be where you finish.

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Younger generations are being told who to blame. This book inspires the question:

Who to become?

Younger generations are being told who to blame. This book inspires the question:

Who to become?

  • "Highly recommend this book to young people and those involved with young people.”

    — Max Warren

    Former H.S. Principal & Youth Mentor

  • "Raw, honest, and hard to put down"

    — Hannah Jackson

    YourTown Youth Director

  • “Loved the book. What stayed with me wasn’t the gang side of things. It was how quickly everything unravelled…”

    — Daniel (Senior Member)

    NSW Dept. of Corrections & Justice

  • I found this book hard to put down. It's an honest and compelling look into the complexities of survival..."

    — Elise McPherson

    Teacher (Greater Sydney)

The Runner exists to help the next generation learn from mistakes they don’t have to make themselves.

Black and white portrait of a smiling middle-aged man with gray hair and beard, wearing a suit jacket and a black shirt.

Meet The Author

The Runner exists to help the next generation learn from mistakes they don’t have to make themselves.

Black and white portrait of Samuel Carter wearing a dark blazer and T-shirt, indoors.

At fifteen, he was navigating life on the streets — an experience that would later shape his understanding of identity, resilience, and choice.

Today, his work challenges young people to move beyond blame and take ownership of who they are becoming.

Schools & Youth Programs

A Story That Starts Conversations

Icon of three people, representing a group or team.
Silhouette of a classical angel with wings and a long robe, standing with arms crossed, set against a white background.
A black silhouette of a person skateboarding on a ledge at sunset with trees in the background.

School Groups

Youth Program

Community Organisations

“Nobody plans to destroy their life.
It happens one
decision at a time.”

“Nobody plans to destroy their life.
It happens one decision at a time.”

The Five Decision Framework

What decisions shape young men's and women’s lives?

Photo taken from above shows black boots standing on gravel ground with two white arrows painted on the ground pointing in opposite directions.

"I didn’t choose the streets — they chose me, and I had to survive."

Ready to read The Runner?

A story about survival, responsibility, and rebuilding a life.

Book cover and smartphone displaying the cover of a book titled 'The Runner' by Samuel Carter. The cover features a close-up black-and-white photograph of a person's face with an intense gaze, with a brown eye that stands out. Water droplets are visible on the face, and the title is in bold white text with a silhouette of a runner in the letter 'O'. The subtitle reads 'A Memoir' and the tagline states 'A True Story of Survival and Choice'.

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