“RACING THE WILD” MARKS ROSANNA FEEKEN’S STUNNING LITERARY DEBUT, ROOTED IN ART, MEMORY, AND THE CALL OF THE NATURAL WORLD - VORAKA

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA

Article Published on 21 July 2025 by Suzume Naoko | www.vorakamag.com Rosanna Feeken is an Australian writer, artist, and educator whose creative practice spans decades of visual art, teaching, and, more recently, fiction. Born in northern New South Wales and raised in Canberra, she grew up immersed in the natural world, camping through Australia’s vast coastlines and outback, skiing the erisher Valley, and exploring remote cave systems. These formative experiences, coupled with a family culture of storytelling and her parents’ own historical writing projects, instilled in her a deep appreciation for place, memory, and narrative. 

ROSANNA FEEKEN

Feeken’s professional life has been anchored in education. For over 20 years, she has taught visual art and religion, guiding students through diverse creative techniques while fostering curiosity and emotional growth. Her philosophy centers on the idea that quality education inspires exploration, challenges expectations, and encourages personal meaning-making, principles that also inform her writing.

Her debut novel, Racing the Wild: A Journey of Freedom and Friendship, reflects this ethos. It follows a troubled teenager, Chris, who steals a condemned horse in a desperate bid for both freedom and connection. Set against the backdrop of the Australian bush, the story explores the healing power of animals, art, and friendship. Original sketches, presented as if drawn by Chris himself, open each chapter, fusing Feeken’s visual and literary instincts to deepen readers’ emotional engagement. Her forthcoming sequel, Racing the Wild: Of Judgement and Deception, continues Chris’s journey, incorporating motorbikes, a service dog, and a fresh cast of horses. This volume delves into themes of honesty, judgments, and the moral complexity of human relationships, demanding greater research and psychological insight.

Feeken is also working on And Still the Horses Run, a companion adult novel centered on Chris’s parents. The story explores generational trauma, forgiveness, and personal reckoning, particularly through the character of Leon, a father forced to confront his past and reconstruct himself to save his fractured family. Like her other work, it intertwines emotional depth with a reverence for animals as conduits of healing and transformation.

Rosanna Feeken’s transition from art to fiction has opened new avenues of storytelling. Through her writing, she continues to explore how creativity, nature, and emotional honesty can illuminate the human condition. ABOUT THE BOOK

RACING THE WILD BY ROSANNA FEEKEN

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Racing the Wild is a raw, introspective coming-of-age novel set on the edges of suburban Melbourne, where the relentless world of racehorse training forms the backdrop for one teenager’s fight for survival and healing. Chris Franklin, the youngest son in a family of three boys, spends his days under the unyielding gaze of his father, Leon Franklin, a respected but domineering trainer. While the outward routine is one of discipline and achievement, behind closed doors, Chris is weighed down by domestic abuse and emotional isolation. When Chris is expelled midway through Year 8, he's sent to a rougher school with a troubled reputation. There, hiding the damage from home becomes a daily struggle. Yet amid the instability, he meets a diverse group of classmates, Ben, Malik, Ethan, Fran, and Aakesh, whose unexpected friendship offers Chris his first real taste of connection and trust. Their shared laughter, adventures, and growing loyalty gradually allow him to drop his guard.

Sketching has always been Chris’s refuge. The drawings included at the start of each chapter are to provide a window into his world, offering readers a deeper understanding of his emotional state and creative mind.

Chris’s turning point arrives when he rescues a condemned racehorse he’s been training. The theft is impulsive but deeply symbolic, an act of defiance and a desperate reach for freedom. With only the horse for company, he flees into the Australian bush, supported by his closest friends. Along his journey through mountains and wilderness, Chris encounters strangers who shape his path: Jim and Sue, seasoned drovers with wisdom born of the land; a drunk and dangerous farmer; Rick Wyman, the kind owner of a remote mountain resort; two cousins, Evan and Zara, who become trusted allies. Grounded by the animals who offer him silent, unwavering support, and calmed by his drawing and the meditation techniques learned in his studies, Chris learns to trust in himself. The story navigates the jagged terrain of emotional recovery, the resilience of youth, and the quiet strength that comes from forging one’s own path.

With gritty realism and emotional depth, Racing the Wild is a story of pain, courage, and transformation. It’s about how friendship, art, and the loyalty of animals can illuminate even the darkest paths and lead us back to ourselves.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ROSANNA FEEKEN

VORAKA: What drew you from the world of visual art into writing fiction? 

ROSANNA: Without space to paint after moving interstate, I turned to sketching, and then writing, to stay creative. What began as a simple outlet quickly became an unfolding narrative. The story took on a life of its own, drawing me into the world of fiction with the same depth and energy I find in visual art.

VORAKA: How has growing up in the Australian wilderness shaped the way you tell stories?

To continue reading the full interview, click here to download our latest Literature special issue.