Mark is a poet and ‘outstanding’ English teacher and Head of Year based in Peterborough. He’s also one of the UK’s most successful battle rappers with over 20 million views for his poetry and rap battle videos online. He starred in Channel 4’s Mr Drew’s School for Boys, Redbull TV’s Mark Grist Battles the World, and spends much of his time touring schools around the world, helping English departments engage their students with poetry and creative writing.

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Mark has recently produced commissions for BBC Radio 1, BBC 2, Channel 4, Film4 and Google. His his first podcast serial, Mark Can’t Rap explores the craft and culture behind rap lyrics and is free to download on Itunes and Spotify. Rhinos Can't Dance, his first rhyming picture book for children, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2023.

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‘Epic!’ Ice Cube

‘A man precision-built to reach out to a live audience’ The Guardian

‘The English Teacher you wish you had’ Fest Magazine

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Twitter & Instagram: @montygristo

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Agent: Rachel Mann