Frequently asked questions

On 20 December 2016, Mark gave up complex technology, including the phone, computer, internet and electricity, and wrote about that life in The Way Home and his Guardian columns. He lives simply on a smallholding in the west of Ireland, in a home he built himself.

Mark lived without money from November 2008 for almost three years, an experiment he describes in The Moneyless Man. Since then, his focus has shifted to living simply and locally, without complex technology, as described in The Way Home.

Yes. This is the official home of Mark’s books and news, and the best place for readers, journalists and publishers to get in touch with him.

No. Mark doesn’t use social media, and accounts that appear to post as him are not run by him. This website is the best place for accurate information about his books and news.

The Happy Pig was a free pub that Mark and friends built in 2015 from a former pigsty on his smallholding in County Galway, using cob, cordwood and wattle and daub. All the food and drink was free. Read more about it.

Mark’s home is private, so please don’t visit unannounced. If you would like to meet him, check for upcoming festival or event appearances, or write to him through the contact page.

Most readers start with The Moneyless Man, the story of Mark’s year without money, or with The Way Home, his memoir of life without technology. If you want the practical side, The Moneyless Manifesto is part philosophy, part how-to guide.

Mark’s books are available from bookshops worldwide. Each book page lists retailers, but wherever possible we encourage you to buy from an independent bookshop or borrow from your local library.

Yes. Mark’s books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Please ask at your local bookshop for editions in your language.

Rights enquiries should go to the relevant publisher: Oneworld Publications for The Moneyless Man and The Way Home, and Permanent Publications for The Moneyless Manifesto and Drinking Molotov Cocktails with Gandhi. You can also write through our contact page and we will point you in the right direction.

Email Mark at mboyle@markboylewrites.com or use the contact page. Mark reads every message, though he can’t promise to answer them all personally.

Yes. Please send details of the event, the date, the location and the audience through the contact page. Mark keeps an unhurried pace, so please allow plenty of notice.

Choose “Press & media” on the contact form. Interviews usually happen in person or by letter, so tell us about your deadline when you write.