Born and bred in London and lives with his wife and three children on a leafy hill not far from the Thames. In a highly varied working career – some would say chequered – he has been an actor, theatre director, writer and teacher, while always spending as much time as possible fishing.
As an actor, Mark appeared at the National Theatre and in London’s West End, as well as in such long-running TV hits as When the Boat Comes In, London’s Burning and Brookside. A tall man, Mark’s favourite memory as a screen actor is standing in a field in the German Alps, dressed in lederhosen and a Tyrolean hat, extolling the virtues of lager to a petite actress balanced on a large wooden box.
Mark has written drama for BBC Radio and the stage, books about history, OUR AMAZING CENTURY, and music, THE KINGFISHER BOOK OF MUSIC. He has also been a regular contributor to part-works on the subject of history and true crime and has written many magazine articles on a wide range of subjects as well as stories for children. His script for the audio play, THE WIZARD’S SPELL, won a prize for Best Entertainment at the New York Festival. His biography of SIR IAN MCKELLEN, was published by Virgin in February 2005 and is being reissued by Lume Books (Translation rights via RCL)
Mark’s first novel, JOE RAT, an historical novel for children set in Victorian London, is the first of two titles, commissioned and contracted by Random House Children’s Books. The publisher controls world publishing rights. Film/TV via RCL. JOE RAT, published in March 2008 to critical acclaim, was long-listed for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Award and, more recently, was long-listed for the Brandford Boase Award and Short-listed for the Stockton Children’s Book Award.
His second novel, THE WILD MAN was published in May 2009. He has also undertaken a commission for Hothouse Fiction.