About me | Markus MacGill

Hi. To friends, family and colleagues, I’m Mark. With everything else, it tends to be Markus (it’s in the email addresses and makes me easier to find, you see). With personal passions for an eclectic mix of subjects, I try to find the time for writing about them here:

— International cooperation/development, science, medicine and more (I do editorial and communications work)

— Photography and art (I’m an amateur photographer/enthusiast who’s often been commissioned professionally, including as part of the day jobs)

— Driving (I like cars and being behind the wheel)

Communications, editing, writing, etc.

My professional work is rigorous when it comes to editing and publishing, and often needs to be unbiased when I’m writing. Developing communications and getting involved in stakeholder or public engagement are things I do in the voice of each organization, not my own. My heart and soul goes into this stimulating and rewarding day job – it really does. So that’s all brilliant… but it means I’m seeking a field day for original opinion here.

See a bit about my career in publishing and communications at LinkedIn, with a number of editorial positions on national weekly and monthly business/professional publications and much experience as the launch editor of major technical information websites. I’ve done a lot of recent communications work for United Nations agencies and other big bodies, and I was awarded a distinction in 2017 for a PgCert on an MSc programme in communication and public engagement at the University of Edinburgh.

Photography

To more of a personal topic than a career one, although the personal and the professional are always near to each other for me.

Taking pictures wasn’t my first love, but it might be my last. Or it might be music if the ears fare better for longer. You can still enjoy pictures if you lose your sight though. I digress. I have about 20 or 30 years before I should be looking out closely for my ears, and listening out keenly for my eyes. I continue to digress.

Have a look at just some of my pictures at photographsbymark.com. I have lots more to upload from the film days, and I’ve only just started clearing the digital queue.

Driving

Everyone has something to say about driving, often incorrect or heavily misguided by opinion.

I love cars (the best ones anyway) and I love driving (except in bad cars, bad traffic or a bad mood).

I once worked part time as a driving instructor during a self-employed stint in my editorial career – and got 98% while giving training under the DVSA ‘standards check’ (a rare level of pass!). I later had a large part to play in transforming the DVLA’s guidance for doctors on fitness to drive too.

I might one day like to drive a bus or juggernaut (just for fun, why not?) and I’d love to throw a rally car round some empty mountain tracks.

I’d never like to ride a motorbike anywhere other than a race track. I’ve ridden a moped round Cyprus and found the cornering ability shocking, and I’ve ridden pillion on a fast bike, and that was all the thrill I’ll ever need.

Part of my drive (sorry) to write these entries will be to keep my creative scribbling muscle in shape – with something that’s not the day job on the one hand, but not as easy to write about as photography on the other – so a bit of a challenge to keep me lively.

The little picture at the top of this site was captured by a friend’s friend in September 2019 – thanks, Sylvia
© Roses & Lavender photography – see her work at roseslavender.com