Mark Batey is a baby boomer, born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne.
As a student at Pembroke College, Cambridge, he chaired the college film society and, after five years in advertising, he forged a career in the UK film industry. This included two decades running the FDA, the trade association for film distributors, the pivotal companies that acquire, release and promote films to audiences.
He wrote stories from his childhood. Throughout his film career, he scripted articles, reports and speeches – a day without writing felt like a day lost. His first published book, Grace, was the life story of Northumberland’s sea-rescue heroine, Grace Darling. It became the first of a series recalling Victorians from the North-East who achieved remarkable feats with lasting legacies.
He has also embarked on a series of tense thrillers, unfolding against the backdrop of today’s (worryingly shifting) geo-politics. He is delighted that Final Harbour, set in Russia, Malta and the UK, is published by BSP.
Mark divides his time between Northumberland and London.