Mark Charlton Author

Mark Charlton is that rare thing; a corporate professional (with a background in media distribution and marketing) and a creative writer, painter, tutor… some would say polymath. After nearly forty years in industry, Mark retired in 2018, lasting all of ten days before starting a communications consultancy. He now divides his time between working with clients, occasional teaching and following his passions for writing, the outdoors and walking his whippet Oscar. Mark’s first book Counting Steps—a journey through fatherhood and landscape (Cinnamon Press 2012) was a critically acclaimed collection, exploring the transformative impact of parenthood and its connections to place and the past. His reflective honesty is allied to a concern to make life writing universal. ‘I try always to write from my life as opposed to about it—for ultimately, it’s not me that matters.’ Talking of his practice, Mark says, ‘It took me years to be confident in what I do, rather than feeling self-conscious about what I don’t. I’m not a novelist, poet or journalist; I’m a life writer, essayist and most of all, a proud and passionate blogger!’