User:Markbrinkley/Mark brinkley

Mark Brinkley (b 20 May 1953) is author of the best selling British selfbuild guide, The Housebuilder's Bible, and also writes a widely followed blog, House 2.0. He was educated at Christ College, Brecon and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Social & Political Science. As a student, he was part of the original group that created Strawberry Fair in 1974. He later spent four years working at Arjuna Wholefoods in Cambridge, a co-operativelly run social enterprise that is still thriving.

In 1980, he undertook an eco-renovation on his house in Cambridge, working to plans drawn up by Brenda and Robert Vale. It became, at the time, one of the best-insulated houses in the UK. He continued to work in construction and property development for 12 years before he began writing The Housebuilder's Bible in 1993 after completing a family selfbuild in Weston Colville, Cambs. The Housebuilder's Bible became a self-publishing phenomenon when the 4th (Millennium) edition spent several months in Amazon.co.uk's Top 100 titles in Y2K, and it remains one of their best selling DIY titles, though now it is published by Ovolo Books. The Housebuilder's Bible has now sold over 125,000 copies and the 9th edition is due out in 2011.

Mark Brinkley is unusual in making a living as a writer whilst only ever having written one book (albeit through many editions). He is a Contributing Editor on Homebuilding & Renovating magazine, and has been writing an influential blog, House 2.0, since 2005. He is an active angel investor and sits on the board of Cambridge Temperature Concepts, makers of the DuoFertilty fertility monitor.

Family

He has three sons, though is now divorced from their mother, Charlotte. He lives in Cambridge. Brinkley's elder brother John is proprietor of Brinkley's Restaurants in West London.

Books

• The Housebuilder's Bible. Ovolo Books. ISBN 190595915X. 8th Edition published 2 April 2009.

External Links

• Amazon authors page • House 2.0 • Mark Brinkley Webpage