A Quick One on The Side - Martyn Waites

A warm Geordie welcome to guest author Martyn Waites.

Martyn was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. After leaving school, Martyn had various jobs before spending three years at Drama School in Birmingham, the result of which was him becoming a professional actor. He subsequently starred in various theatre and television shows.
Martyn eventually began a career as a writer of gritty crime novels. He wrote three novels featuring tabloid journalist Stephen Larkin; these being 'Mary's Prayer', 'Little Triggers' and 'Candleland'. Subsequent novels, 'Born Under Punches' was set during the Miners Strike and 'The White Room' featured a fictional child killer, not unlike Mary Bell.
Martyn later introduced investigative journalist Joe Donovan and his team called Albion. 'Mercy Seat' was nominated for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for thriller of the year. It was also nominated for the CWA Dagger in the Library for best body of work. He was also nominated for the CWA Short Story Dagger for his story 'Love'.
As well as having had two writing residences in prisons, Martyn has also run drama and creative writing courses for socially excluded adults and teenagers in South London and Essex. Martyn is also half of Tania Carver. See later...

So here we go, ten quickies for Martyn...
Who is your favourite author?
"Graham Greene."

What would be your favourite book read?
"This varies from hour to hour. Probably 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' by Michael Chabon, at the moment. Yesterday it could have been 'The Heart of The Matter' by Graham Greene and tomorrow it might be 'Hangover Square' by Patrick Hamilton."

Who is your favourite band/group?
"I tend to go for individual voices and the most individual of all is Tom Waits, even more so than Elvis Costello. But for bands, it would probably be the Flaming Lips or Talking Heads."

What is your most listened to album?
"Overall? Ever? Probably Peter Gabriel's third album. I've worn out two vinyl copies of that and I'm on my third. In the last few years, probably Fleet Foxes' first album and before that, 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots'  by the Flaiming Lips."

What has been the best gig/concert that you have attended?
"It's hard to choose one out of them but Elvis Costello and a reformed Attractions at the Roundhouse in 1996 was a cracker. But then so was the Flaming Lips in 2002 in Kentish Town, and Neil Young in Hyde Park in 2009, and every David Byrne gig I've ever been to."

What is your favourite food?
"Indian."

What would be your favourite holiday destination?
"The USA, or the good bits anyway, and I'd like to go back to Italy, to spend longer there."

What would be the most autographs you've ever signed in one session?
"No idea. I never keep count."

Have you ever been mistaken for someone else?
"No, but when I was acting, people kept thinking they had seen me in things I wasn't in."

How often do you get recognised?
"Hardly ever, thankfully."

Here he is...

On his Twitter profile, Martyn says "As Martyn Waites I'm a moderately well-known crime writer. As Tania Carver, with my wife, I'm an international bestseller. Go figure." Tania Carver is the pseudonym for Martyn and wife Linda, who is a critically acclaimed theatre costume designer. 'Tania' has had three novels published so far.
Here is/are Tania Carver...

My thanks to Martyn for making a literary return visit to Newcastle today.
As ever, many thanks for reading...