Mark Svendsen
MARK SVENDSEN was born in Yeppoon in Central Queensland. He attended Emu Park Primary School, Yeppoon Secondary  School and then the University of Queensland where he studied English Literature and History, graduating with a BA in 1983. In 1991 Mark completed a Graduate Diploma in Arts Administration, and in 2004 a Master of Creative Writing at Queensland University of Technology.
He has worked at various jobs including as a farmhand on the family property which involved crawling around on his hands and knees picking tomatoes, zucchini and beans; dressing up as though on an Antarctic expedition to pick pineapples in 40 degree heat; slaughtering cattle and avoiding taipans. Other jobs have included courier driving, scallop loading, insurance clerking, waterbed sales, brush fencing/roofing and university and arts administration.
All the while Mark has been writing. He writes poetry for children and adults, young adult novels, novels for younger readers and picture books. Mark writes libretti and scripts, and has just completed an adult novel titled, Tears of Glass, for his Master of Arts Award at Queensland University of Technology.? Mark writes book reviews for the Courier Mail newspaper and teaches creative writing to children.
His novel Snigger James on Grey was highly praised when it appeared in 2000 and was cited as a Notable Book in the CBC (Children's Book Council of Australia) awards. It is a lyrical novel set in contemporary Australia but with many yarns of another, older Australia long gone, a place of farms and hard yakka. The observations of teenage life and teenage problems are wry and pointed and the awkwardness of friendships under pressure is well detailed.
Another of Mark's young adult novels is Poison Under Their Lips, the story of Arthur Wilbraham, a young well-educated and idealistic Christian who comes from South Australia to the new Colony of Queensland to help save the natives. This is an unsettling account of the dispersal of 'troublesome blacks' by the Queensland Native Police. Another CBC Notable Book.
His picture book The Kestrel, was being illustrated by Steven Woolman when, sadly, Steven died in April 2004. The Kestrel is the story of a young boy who helps his grandfather to build a boat for a boy for his birthday. The simple, poetic text is entirely the grandfather's comments to the boy as they build it, and in the end, of course, it turns out to be for the boy's birthday, when he will no longer be too young. The message is a life-affirming one of the pleasure of sharing, of secrets, of giving and receiving.
Another picture book, Circus Carnivore, is out in 2005. With illustrator Ben Redlich, Mark has created a visual and written chaos of nonsense after the style of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. Sure to intrigue and delight all readers (and those who can't too!). Mark is currently working on a young adult novel, Shoot the Red Flag, a story of betrayal (personal, and political) set in a radical Brisbane of 1919.
Mark also wrote lyrics for Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin's two choral symphonies. This is a natural extension of his poetry writing. He has also recently completed a commission for a play with music, Thank You for Your Happiness and an adult novel written titled, Tears of Glass.
Children's Books written by Mark Svendsen include:
Prose
- The Kestrel, illustrated by Steven Woolman, Lothian, due February 2006
- Circus Carnivore, Lothian, 2005
- Shadowsnake, Lothian, 2004
- Ratface and Snake-eyes, Lothian, 2003 (CBC Notable Book 2004)
- Captain Me, illustrated by David Cox, Lothian, 2002
- Poison Under Their Lips, Lothian, 2001 (CBC Notable Book 2002)
- Snigger James on Grey, Lothian, 1999 (CBC Notabe Book 2000)
- Three Moon Lagoon, Greater Glider Productions, 1996
Poetry
- The Bunyip and the Night, Jam Roll Press, 1994
- Circus Carnivore, Lothian, 2005 (US/Canada release Houghton Mifflin 2006)
Anthologies
- Lines in the Sand Frances Lincoln, 2001
- Open Boat Barbed Wire Sky Live Poets Collective 2001
- The Girl Who Married a Fly, AATE, 1997
- Nightmares in Paradise, UQP, 1995
- Sounds Spooky, Greater Glider Productions, 1994
Professional development
Mark also specializes in workshops aimed at enhancing the teaching of writing narratives. These workshops guide teachers through a series of hands-on, classroom-level techniques aimed at "showing" rather than "telling" written narratives with particular emphasis on editing student work.
As a selection of the following feedback attests, Mark's professional development workshops are always very well received –
- "A great day … left motivated and engaged to use the power of narrative"
- "Every teacher should have been here today"
- "Mark was such a resource! So much knowledge"
- "More teachers need to access this PD directly"
- "Wonderful! How do I get Mark to my school"?
Other Feedback
Just a quick email to let you know how wonderful Mark Svendsen was. He was terrific and just "struck the right note" with everyone. People were quite moved as he reminded us of the pleasures involved in teaching writing and the value it has to all the individuals involved in the process. He also gave us some new and inspiring ideas to use in the classroom. All the feedback has been very positive, both about the keynote speech, and the two workshops.
Thankyou once again for your kind help. We will certainly recommend Show & Tell Promotions to everyone.
Peninsula English Teacher's Association.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you for helping to organise our writer-in-residence, Mark Svendsen, at Rochedale High. He is an amazingly talented presenter as well as an excellent writer. Students and teachers alike found his workshops inspiring and thought provoking.
Rochedale SHS. December, 2008.
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