Mark Grenside (SH 70-74) enjoyed a successful international career in film and television before becoming a published author.

Drawing on experiences gained across more than 120 countries, he now writes historical thrillers from his home in Malta. Here, he reflects on an unconventional career that took him from Kidnap and Ransom insurance to The Muppets, and ultimately to the world of publishing.

I've been lucky to lead a life full of experiences, some dangerous, some hilarious, many spent making film and TV, all with a sense of wonder. I draw on all of it for my books.

I always wanted to work in film and TV but knew no one. My advice to anyone struggling to break in: never stop looking; an entry point, however tangential, will open up. I started as a Kidnap and Ransom insurance broker at Lloyd's, then a chance connection landed me an interview at Jim Henson's Muppets. From there I produced TV series, movies and mini-series, and bought the international Hallmark Channel along the way. My one piece of advice: consistency matters in media. Just do it. Even the smallest of things can lead to bigger opportunities.

Filmmaking shapes my writing: dialogue short and sharp, description vivid but concise. Having visited over 120 countries, I set my thrillers in the entertainment world but anchor every plot in real, researched history, blurring fact and fiction. I start with one "McGuffin" and let research and imagination meld into a story that has to feel completely believable.

I have two recurring characters, producer Marcus Riley and art collector Melinda "Mako" de Turris, and three books published by Sharpe Books. Fall Out weaves in Nu-Shu, China's first women-only language, and Yamashita's buried gold, across Cannes and the Philippine jungle. The Bastion uncovers the tunnels beneath Valletta and a code hidden inside a photograph, from a French treasure hunt to Calabria. Sunset Circus follows a lost Romanov treasure and a Stalin-era secret, from Ekaterinburg to Los Alamos.

I now live in Malta with my wife and two French bulldogs. All three books are on Amazon, with more to come.