After winning over 150 creative awards in his 25-year career in advertising, M.A.Batten returned to his childhood dream of telling stories but without brands or their ridiculous reasons to buy shit you don't need and can't afford.

His debut novel 'DARK: And the Boy in the Hole' was awarded Best Fantasy Novel 2025 at the international Page Turner Awards, and its sequel 'DARK: And the Girl with the Knives' was simultaneously a finalist for the same award, making him the only author with both novels in a single series to make the list.

He is also the only author in the world to have two Shortlists for the Hammond House International Literary Prize. And his screenplays have won awards and official selections at film festivals around the world under the moniker Mr Chicken whose work has garnered interest from Rupert Grint (Harry Potter series), Kunal Nayar (Big Bang Theory), Greg Davies (Taskmaster), and Nitin Sawney (Mowgli).

As M.A.Batten writes, a hedgehog sits on his desk. Its name is Camden.