Mark Isaacs, BA IS/ B Communication (Writing and Cultural Studies), ICS Mexico

“My fondest memories of university were living in Mexico on exchange with the Bachelor of International Studies. Exchange in Mexico allowed me and my friends unparalleled freedom to explore the country and ourselves; a transient and glorious vibration of youth. Mexico broadened my mind and my horizons, exposing me to the wonders and horrors of Latin America. I attribute my subsequent career in investigative writing and travelling to my time in Mexico and will forever be thankful for the lessons I learned while on exchange.”

Mark undertook his In Country Studies in Mexico in 2010.  He is now a writer, an author, a community worker, and a campaigner for social justice.  His first book was The Undesirables: Inside Nauru (Hardie Grant, 2014), and he is currently writing a book about a community of peace activists in Afghanistan. Mark is president of Sydney PEN, an affiliate of PEN International, a worldwide association of writers which defends freedom of expression and campaigns on behalf of writers who have been silenced by persecution or imprisonment. His new book, published in June 2019, is called The Kabul Peace House.