Mark Billingham: Biography
Mark Billingham (Mark Philip David Billingham) was born on July 2nd, 1961 and is currently 62 years old. Mark Billingham was born in Solihull, Warwickshire, England. Billingham attended University of Birmingham where he received a B.A. Drama.
Mark Billingham is the author of the Tom Thorne series which currently consists of 19 novels. The Tom Thorne series started in 2001 with the novel Sleepyhead. The most recently released novel in the Tom Thorne series was The Murder Book which was released in 2022. There are no upcoming novels for the Tom Thorne series.
In 2003, Mark Billingham received the Sherlock Award which is an award for the best detective in a fiction series. This was awarded for the Detective Inspector Tom Thorne series. Specifically, the In the Dark novel won this award.
Along with being an author, Mark is also a stand-up comedian. He began his role in stand-up comedy in the late 1980s.
Following his earning a degree, Mark helped create Bread & Circuses, which was a socialist theatre company.
Mark has played many theatre roles, and also played a character in the UK TV show Maid Marian and her Merry Men.
Mark received some interesting inspiration for his novel Scaredy Cat, as him and his friend Peter Cocks were actually kidnapped in a hotel room, where they were tied up and gagged and had everything stolen from them.
Mark has been involved heavily in the TV industry, and the TV show Whats That Noise which he presented as well as wrote, was the winner of the Best Entertainment Programme awards in 1995.
Mark was shortlisted for the 2015 Dead Good Reader Award in The Patricia Highsmith Award for Most Exotic Location category for the location, Bardsey Island, in his novel The Bones Beneath.
Mark Billingham: Awards & Accolades
Mark Billingham has won multiple awards including: The Theakston's Old Peculier, Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction, in 2020 and the Crime Writer's Association Award, Dagger in the Library Award, in 2022. Mark Billingham was also nominated for multiple awards including: The Crime Writer's Association Award, Dagger in the Library Award, in 2004, , Crime Writer's Association Award, Dagger in the Library Award, in 2005, , Crime Thriller Awards, The Bestseller Dagger, in 2011, , Crime Writer's Association Award, Dagger in the Library Award, in 2015, and the Crime Writer's Association Award, Dagger in the Library Award, in 2019.
Billingham's books have also won multiple awards, Lazybones won Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year, in 2005. Death Message won Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year, in 2009. Time of Death won The Dead Good Reader Award, The Val McDermid Award for Fiendish Forensics, in 2015.
The following novels by Mark Billingham were also nominated for these awards:
- Scaredy Cat: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2002). Barry Award, Best British Crime Novel (2003).
- Lazybones: Barry Award, Best British Crime Novel (2004).
- The Burning Girl: Barry Award, Best British Crime Novel (2005).
- Lifeless: Barry Award, Best British Crime Novel (2006). British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2006).
- Buried: Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2008).
- In the Dark: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2009). Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2010).
- From The Dead: Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2011).
- Rush of Blood: Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2013).
- Time of Death: Theakston's Old Peculier, Crime Novel of the Year (2016).
- Die of Shame: The Dead Good Reader Award, The Dead Good Recommends Award for Most Recommended Book (2016).
Mark Billingham: TV/Movies Based on Books
An adaptation of the Tom Thorne series was made for Sky1 in the UK. It aired for one series in 2010 and was called Thorne. There were six episodes with the first half of the series being based on the novel Sleepyhead, and the second half of the series is based on Scaredycat. Actor David Morrissey played the role of DI Tom Thorne, and it also featured Aidan Gillen and Eddie Marsan. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins.
His novel In the Dark, which was a standalone novel, was made into a 4 episode UK TV series for the BBC in 2017. Parts of the novel Time of Death were also adapted for this show and it was written by Danny Brocklehurst. The lead character, DI Helen Weeks, was played by actor MyAnna Buring.
Related Authors
The most common authors followed by users who also follow Mark Billingham are:
- Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
- Louise Penny, author of the Inspector Gamache Series.
- Harlan Coben, author of the Myron Bolitar Series.
- David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
- Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher Series.
Mark Billingham: F.A.Q
When was Mark Billingham Born? How old is Mark Billingham?
Mark Billingham was born on July 2nd, 1961. Mark Billingham is currently 62 years old.
Where was Mark Billingham Born?
Mark Billingham was born in Solihull, Warwickshire, England and is English.
What awards has Mark Billingham won?
Mark Billingham has won the following awards: Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction at Theakston's Old Peculier (2020) and the Dagger in the Library Award at the Crime Writer's Association Award (2022).
What book awards has Mark Billingham won?
Lazybones: Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2005).
Death Message: Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (2009).
Time of Death: The Dead Good Reader Award The Val McDermid Award for Fiendish Forensics (2015).
What was the first book Mark Billingham wrote?
The first novel written by Mark Billingham was Knight School, published in 1998.
What was the most recent book Mark Billingham wrote?
His most recently released work was The Last Dance on May 25th, 2023.
Will there be any more books by Mark Billingham?
Mark Billingham has a new book coming out on July 23rd, 2024 called The Wrong Hands.
How many books has Mark Billingham written?
Mark Billingham has written 32 books. 2 books in the Detective Miller Series, 19 books in the Tom Thorne Series, 3 books in the Triskellion Series, 6 Standalone Novels, 1 book in the Non-Fiction Books, 1 book in the Short Story Collections.
What role in the police force does Tom Thorne have?
As the Tom Thorne series begins, he is a detective inspector.
Does Mark Billingham write books with Peter Cocks?
Yes he does. They co-author books and use the pseudonym of Will Peterson.
Have a Question?
Home » Authors » Mark Billingham List of Books