Mark Conlon is a volunteer for the Media Action Group's 'Local People, Local Lives' project. Mark was born in 1965 and grew up in Stoke-on-Trent in the village of Milton and lived and studied in Manchester before returning to his home town in 2002.

"After going to Holden Lane High School and the Sixth Form College in Fenton, I gained a place at the University of Manchester to study History. My studies culminated in an M.Phil on modern Britain. As you can imagine, I've always been interested in books and reading, and stayed on in Manchester to work in two bookshops, as well as a record shop, music being another of my passions.

Through my own experience of mental illness I have inevitably become interested in raising awareness and tackling ignorance and prejudice towards people with mental illness. In my early 20s I had started to feel depressed and was eventually diagnosed with a severe depressive illness. Later I came back to Stoke-on-Trent to live.

I heard about MAGMH's "Local People, Local Lives" campaign through a friend. His description of the project's innovative approach inspired me to come along. I hope that my piece for the project, "'A Journey through some Potteries Libraries', will inspire others to see people who experience mental ill health in a different light.

Aside from my involvement in combating stigma and discrimination, I have a wide range of interests that include literature, politics, cinema and music, particularly 'prog rock', and free jazz. In the future I would like to return to studying; in the meantime I am an ardent supporter of public libraries and their place in the community".