Eric Clark

Eric Clark (29 July 1937 – 22 October 2018) was a British author and investigative journalist. Clark is best known for his book The Real Toy Story, which examines the world toy market and the battle companies have to win over consumers. During his career, he wrote several books in both the fiction and non-fiction sectors that have been published in over 20 countries (LINK). His works included thrillers, documentaries, magazine, and newspaper articles. In the 1960s, Clark wrote a series of articles that appeared in The Observer, focusing on the American Mafia's infiltration of London's casinos. These articles were credited for the changes that were made to the UK's gambling laws. One of Clark's espionage novels, The Sleeper, was described by Kirkus Reviews as 'mind-lingering entertainment that boosts Clark high up in the stark, lean, British-suspense echelons.' Life and Family Clark was born in Moseley, Birmingham to Horace and Hilda (née Mitchley) and grew up in Erdington in the city. After studying at Handsworth Grammar School, Clark flew to Spain with the desire to be the next Hemingway. He had the ambition to write from a young age and wrote his first (unpublished) novel before his 17th birthday. He then started his career in journalism. In 1958, Clark married Frances Grant; the couple later divorced. In 1972, Clark married Marcelle Bernstein. Together they had three children, Rachael, Charlotte and Daniel. He also has 4 grandchildren, Madeleine, Cecilia, Tabitha and Iris. Together, Clark and Bernstein decided to become freelance writers, and earned their living as self-employed authors. Clark's style of writing was that of unadorned and spare prose, while his wife preferred to use more adjectives and write in a 'flowery' manner.