CLEAROUT SALE by Mark Edwards is now available HERE or by AMAZON

VIEW A PREVIEW HERE        FREE E BOOK HERE

'Humour and irony abound in these stories... where Edwards seamlessly combines the everyday with other things much more ineffable and morally liminal, his greatest qualities as a a writer are abundantly clear.'  - Pen Pusher Magazine

'What he's done in fact is carefully assemble a fascinating and delightful collection of brief prose poems and equally brief fiction pieces.' - 63 Channels

'With a few sparse words he can conjure up a world, a state of mind, a human soul in all its complexity...His slim book will stay with you when noisier pleasures have long been forgotten.' - Word Riot

An Interview with Mark Edwards

1). Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Aberdeen, did much of my growing up further north: Lossiemouth, Elgin, Forres.

2). What was it that first got you into writing and when did you start writing?

A big influence was the rap music I got heavily into when I was 15 or 16.  I purchased a huge number of tapes and records.  Voice and linguistic skill allied to social and political concern made a huge impression on me. 

 

3). Which writers have influenced you the most?

James Kelman, Alan Spence, Tom Leonard, Raymond Carver, Charles Bukowski.  I’ve known Alan for many years and although we support different football teams he encouraged my writing from the beginning.    

 

4). What kind of things do you write?

Stories, poems, working on a novel at the moment.

 

5). What are you working on now?

A novel.

 

6). What is your writing day like?

Right now writing comes second to paying the rent.  Basically I write whenever I get the opportunity.

 

7). What’s the most exciting thing about writing for you?

 If you’re doing it right I think you’re deeply engaged with reality.  Anyone who considers it escapist self indulgent behaviour should stay out of my road.

 

8). What’s the most frustrating thing about writing for you?

 The fact I’ve always needed to work crap jobs in order to support my writing. 

 

9). Do you write for a particular audience, or is your first priority to satisfy your own creativity?

 I just sit down, start writing, try to make it better.  I’ll work on something till I think it’s as good as it’s gonna get.  Then I send it to a magazine and start writing something else.