Top fantasy writer Mark Chadbourn (pictured left) once spent his working day committing more mundane matters to print as the Swadlincote district reporter for the Burton Mail.

After a spell on the Birmingham Post & Mail, he took voluntary redundancy to do shifts in London on various national newspapers and TV.

"Highlights of this period included being shot at in California, set on fire in the Arctic Circle and attacked by gangsters in Brighton," he said.

Now a full-time writer with publishers Orion, he is currently working on a fantasy trilogy. The first volume, World's End, is out in paperback later this month, and the second volume, Darkest Hour, is out in hardback and large format paperback in October.

Mark told HoldTheFrontPage: "After the Burton Mail, I went to the Post & Mail in Birmingham, then took voluntary redundancy to do shifts in London - on everything, including Thames TV. I eventually took a staff job at Today and from there moved to the Daily Mail. I quit the Mail when my first book was accepted. I currently write for The Independent, The Times and the Mirror Group."

Mark's first four novels were horror and he also wrote a non-fiction book about a haunted house in Brecon.

In 1990 the first short story he ever completed was published in Fear and won that magazine's Best New Author award at the end of the year. This led indirectly to the publication of his first novel in 1992.

He recently wrote a foreword for a fantasy novel co-written by a reporter from the South Wales Evening Post. To read our earlier story about this book click here

Mark also has a website, which is a magazine about science fiction fantasy writing in general as well as featuring news about Mark's own books.

To visit his website click here

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