Mark Beyer has lived in the Czech Republic, Spain, France, and on a Maltese island. He has written about Gozoan fishing villages, the Bohemian capital’s “storybook” lanes, bull running in Pamplona, and living at the base of Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc. Born and raised in the Chicago area, he taught fiction writing at Columbia College Chicago, was a book editor in New York City, and worked for many years as a journalist. His writing has won awards for the short story (Columbia University Scholastic Competition, 1998) and for news features (Florida Association of News Publications, 2004). His children’s literature, written for schools and libraries, has been translated into numerous languages. He now makes his home in Europe alongside his wife, Asia Szustek. Currently, he is working on a new novel, and blogs at bibliogrind.com on themes of literature and book culture. "Max, the blind guy" (June 2015) grew from a recognition on a street in Prague.
