A BOOK featuring pubs from his home town of Warrington has landed Mark Gartside a
publishing deal with international publishers Macmillan just two years after
penning his first novel.
His book “What will survive” is based in his home town and Mark says local readers will “recognise some of the pubs!”
Mark, a married father of two who is a senior executive with an international technology company, who writes in his spare time, has already written three novels, two for children and one, Whatever Else Is True, for adults.
His latest book, which secured him a two year book deal, is a dual narrative, one set in the 1980s and the other set in 2009-2010. Much of it takes place in Warrington.
Mark, who was a member of the Warrington Warriors Swimming Club and then went on to earn a blue for Oxford as captain of their Rugby League team, grew up in Lymm in the 80’s and 90’s and now shares his time in England and the US.
“What will Survive” will be published by Macmillan in Spring next year.
Set in Warrington it is the story of Graham and Michael, a father and son growing up together, told over a dual narrative over two decades.
Graham, stuck in the past and unable to react as the world changes around him, is trying to stop his son make the same mistakes he did, but as Michael becomes an adult Graham is forced to come to terms with the realities of the new world, his responsibilities as a father and his own past.
It is a marvellously funny, deeply moving look at class and parenthood in Britain from the eighties to the present day.
Mark’s second novel, which is currently in progress, will be published by Macmillan in 2013.
