Mark is a professional actor, photographer and international children’s author.  After a love of theatre helped him survive the jungle of High School, he went on to study Theatre and Film and Television at university, including a year of study as a drama teacher. Mark acquired an agent and became a professional actor for many years,  performing on TV, film and stage. During his acting career he became Captain Starlight, entertaining children at Princess Margaret Hospital and touring the country to visit special need schools. It was in this role that he acquired the skills of balloon animal making and juggling.

During Book Week he toured schools performing characters from books. It was at this time he began to realise the potential that quality literature had to enrich the lives of children, and how a well written book with a great message could influence the minds of a generation to create change for the better… or just make them laugh and appreciate the colour and joy of life.

His first published work, a children’s picture book Crazy Crab was published in the US and has since earned a dozen international awards. On his book tour for the release of Crazy Crab he was the first Australian author to be invited to present a book on stage at the Orange County Children’s Book Fair - the largest one day event of its kind in the US.

This was followed by his second book, a graphic novel called Scarlet Hood which he launched at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy - the largest trade fair for children’s books in the world.

Both books have gone on to sell around the world including the US, UK, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, India, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil and Japan to name a few. Mark attended the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore this year to lead a panel discussion and 2020 will see the release in the US of his third book Tang the Boastful Ape.

As well as a professional actor, Mark has been a professional quiz night host for more than a decade, MCing corporate and charity events and hosting a weekly trivia night at the Mount Henry Tavern. He was a state finalist at the Triple J Raw comedy festival and a judge at the Read Out Loud School Competition.

Mark presentations often involve audience participation, sometimes balloon bending displays, but always include a high level of energy and humour, drawing on his many years as a performer on stage.