Wayward: Fetching Tales from a Year on the Road

Wayward is a gripping, observant and hilarious collection of travel pieces written by Tom Gates, who re-invents himself here as an accomplished writer after fifteen years of working with some of the biggest names in the music business. His travel stories have had millions of views online and are collected within for the first time. The content of Wayward was written during a yearlong trip around the world, during which the author lived in twelve countries over twelve months.

"Wayward isn’t strictly a travelogue or a guide by any means. The book reads like a diary, with chapters dedicated to everything from watching Obama’s inauguration in an Argentinian bar, to viewing a dubbed version of the newest Star Trek film in France and trying to understand the plot despite not speaking French, to remembering the ecstasy and pain of his first love just before breaking up with his then-boyfriend in Berlin, to eating dog in Vietnam, to his experience working with Patti Smith in New York. It’s a little scatterbrained, but Gates’ lively, conversational writing style bring all the disparate pieces together for an engaging, enjoyable read." (Forbes)

What people are saying:

“Cynicism of this level cannot be taught. It must be molded in the mind of someone who, through the course of life, discovers that he is constantly separate from the bumbling hoard.”

“With the pop culture savvy of Chuck Klosterman and the cultural attention to detail of Bill Bryson, Gates brings to life the people and places he visits.”

“This isn't an ordinary travel book with quaint descriptive words about "must-see" places. These short stories are a collection of inspired words about self-discovery and one man's path.”

“A collection of short stories that revel you with oftentimes bewildering tales of the culture clashes the modern first world traveller faces when off the grid.”

“Incredibly lucid tales from crazy places all over the planet, which are impossible to stop reading once you start.”