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Meet the Leeds lad who’s made a living out of language
HISTORY MAN: Mark Guscin.
Mark Guscin, 47, was born and raised in Moortown, Leeds, but 25 years ago started a whole new life in Spain as a professional translator and writer focusing on religion and artefacts.
Recently he became a novelist too, releasing his first work of fiction, a historical thriller, love story and spiritual search for freedom called All the Diamonds in the World.
He describes it as having “all the excitement of a Da Vinci Code plot, but with the historical knowledge of Umberto Eco”.
Rod McPhee found out more about the Leeds lad who’s made a living out of language.
“My childhood wasn’t wonderful to be honest. My father died of cancer when I was 15, although I hadn’t seen him for various years. My mother died of a brain haemorrhage when I was 19, just a few months after she remarried. We had to live with my grandparents for a year or so because we, my mother and three kids, had nowhere else to go but we were helped immensely by a priest who gave us food and clothes. I think all three of us - my sister, my brother and myself - swore to work as hard as possible to make sure our own children would never have to go through the same. But I was always quite independent anyway and left school early, completing my A-levels and my degree by the age of 19. I went St Michael’s College and started out at St Gemma’s Preparatory school in Moortown, which is now a hospice.
“The best piece of advice I received came from my grandfather, Dennis Goy, who is 94 and still lives in Roundhay. He said: do what you are convinced you have to do in life and don’t listen to any advice telling you to do the opposite. That’s something I’ve felt to be true often. Particularly when I did a degree in classics, everyone said: “what use is that?!” and of course the use is that I love it and that’s enough. It was my grandfather who instilled in me a love of history and classical languages. He used to take me all over the country visiting ruins of castles and monasteries, helping me collect old coins etc, and I now do the same with my own children, although it’s much more difficult in the digital age, they have so many different options.
Similarly my philosophy on life is that it’s better to do something and regret it than not do anything at all. That’s part of the reason I went to Spain in the first place. Moving abroad is something many people think about but never take the leap – I did more than just think about it and I’ve never regretted it.
“The best thing about Leeds is the people – they’re so friendly. I really notice it when I come back to the city to visit. These days I almost come back as a tourist and it is noticable, the difference between people in the south of Britain and those up north. One of the funny things about leaving Leeds is that all my memories from the city are from the 1970s and 1980s, so when I go back now I am always amazed by the changes. Despite not having a Leeds home as such (i.e. no parental base), I love going back on holiday. I don’t think you ever lose that sense of belonging to where you were born.
My first job in Leeds was working at the greyhound stadium near the Leeds United ground at Elland Road, I started off as a runner going between all the booths and then ended up working in the offices calculating all the bets and dividends and everything – it was a great job. Later I worked in Morrisons in the Merrion Centre and I also had a paper round. I started working as a translator straight after university.
“If I could meet anyone still living it would have to be Leonard Cohen, because he has inspired me and provided some excellent music over the years. And, of those no longer living, I’d say it would have to be Jesus of Nazareth, and I’d like to ask him what he thinks of today’s organised churches. And if I could get time with either of them I’d like to make it a decent length of time, maybe have dinner with them, so I could ask them all the questions I’ve wanted answering for all these years, like: “What did you mean, exactly, when you said this?”
“To relax I watch football (Barcelona) or listen to either Leonard Cohen, Motorhead, Iron Maiden or Blind Guardian. I remember my one great pleasure as a child was music – I would listen to records all day. Pink Floyd, Genesis, Leonard Cohen, and heavier groups like Motorhead. Whenever I could save enough from my weekend jobs, I’d go and see them in concert. Very often I didn’t have enough money to get a bus or taxi home again and had to walk from Leeds city centre home to Moortown. I now take my children to concerts and love going with them.
“The thing that might surprise people about me is that they actually think I’m quite conservative and religious, partly because of some of the non-fiction books I’ve written in the past, but I think a few people might be shocked when they read the contents of All the Diamonds in the World. I seem quite calm and composed on the outside, but when they read my book they will see I’m not so on the inside.
“The thing I’m most proud of is my wife, Rocio, who is Spanish, and our two children Joshua, 16, and Catherine, 12. Although we live in Spain we thought it would be interesting to give them both English names – it makes them sound a little bit different out here.
The one thing I couldn’t live without? See above.
My first crush was on a friend of my sister’s, called Michelle. I had a hopeless and complete crush on her too. It was quite serious to say I was just 12 – it lasted well over a year! I think my sister knows, but I’m not sure if Michelle does – so if she reads this, she will find out 34 years on.
“My most embarrassing moment? Most probably when Michelle reads the above.
“The funniest joke I ever read was actually in the Yorkshire Evening Post in the [comic strip] Wizard of Id, (I used to deliver the paper on my paper round). The wizard and his wife are in bed and the wizard asks his wife if she has put the cat out, she starts crying and says the cat died. The wizard answers: all the more reason to put him out.
“I literally fell over laughing at this one and it still makes me crack up.”
* All the Diamonds in the World is available to order from bookshops and online.
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