Mark graduated from Edinburgh Medical School more than half a century ago. Thereafter, he travelled around the world, first as medical practitioner, and later as biomedical researcher and lecturer. At the age of 56, in 2002, he retired from his university post, returned to his birthplace and started a new career … or a selection of new careers:

First, he set up a one-man editing business, which he still runs from an office in his home. He then turned to collecting traditional Peak District folktales and learning to tell them to a range of audiences. He’s performed numerous storytelling gigs and has recorded some of the stories on film.

Two years after starting the editing business, he took up writing. To date, he’s had fourteen books (including six novels) published by five different publishing houses, and as of August 2024 he has two more fiction manuscripts in preparation. He teaches creative writing to adults and helps to organise informal meetings among other local members of the Society of Authors.

He became secretary of the local creative writing group in 2013, and he is also a founder member and organiser of Glossop BookFest, a grant-supported organisation that supports local authors and illustrators, with a particular focus on fostering creativity among children in the area.