In an ideal world, writer and Classics teacher Mark Walker would earn his living as a full-time bassist with the Blues Dudes (www.facebook.com/bluesdudesuk) but sadly we're just a bunch of guys, you know.
Forced to earn a pittance so that he can clothe his 35 children in squalid rags and feed them boiled cabbages, Mark translated into Latin J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" (as "Hobbitus Ille", HarperCollins, 2012), and also translated from Latin into English verse Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century poem "Life of Merlin" (Amberley Publishing, 2011), for which Herculean labours he has so far received little praise and even less financial remuneration from a largely indifferent world.
He has also written three non-fiction books about Latin, all published by The History Press: "Annus Horribilis: Latin for Everyday Life" (2007), "Annus Mirabilis: More Latin for Everyday Life" (2009), and "Britannica Latina: 2,000 Years of British Latin" (2009).
In 2010 he founded "VATES: The Journal of New Latin Poetry", which is available for free to anyone interested in reading about or writing Latin verse -- learn more about this at Mark's website www.pineapplepubs.co.uk. A collection of poems from "VATES" is now available both as a paperback and as a Kindle e-book
Some years ago he decided to write an ambitious novel with distinctly literary pretensions, the result being "Amida: A Novel" (Pineapple Publications, 2004), an historical epic set during the declining days of the Roman Empire. Mark soon discovered that no one is interested in reading ambitious novels with literary pretensions set during the declining days of the Roman Empire, apparently. Still, if you are one of the rare few who find the prospect tempting you can now buy this very cheaply for your Kindle.
During his previous career in publishing and journalism, Mark was the editor of the "Gramophone Film Music" and "Musicals Good CD Guides", and continues to write about music and movies whenever anyone will pay him to do so.
His two most beloved things in the world (ahem, aside from wife and son of course) are his Rickenbacker 4003 bass and his Breedlove mandolin, both of which he plays at every possible opportunity.
