Mark Forsyth (born 2 April 1977)[1][2] is a British writer of non-fiction who came to prominence with a series of books concerning the meaning and etymology of English words.

[14] As a self-described journalist, proofreader, ghostwriter and pedant,[15] Forsyth started a blog called the Inky Fool in 2009[14][16][17] as a forum to share his love of words.

[14] The book's structure leads the reader to "unexpected coinages and devious linkages, sexy, learned and satisfyingly obscure.

"[22] It is, according to reviewer Karin Schimke, "a cursory run through history presented with a wry eye and a peculiar sense of humor.

"[21] Reviewer Robert McCrum wrote, "Not since Eats, Shoots & Leaves has a book about language...attracted so much attention in bookshops, running through successive reprints.

[23] While The Etymologicon falls into the category of edutainment,[17] the examples Forsyth includes in the book are well researched and supported by evidence.

Described as a writer's tool-kit or recipe book,[32] The Elements of Eloquence outlines 38 rhetorical figures[33] (e.g., hyperbole,[32] epizeuxis,[34] catachresis[4]) that, according to Forsyth, can be learned by almost anybody.

[32] One reviewer wrote: "It's doubtful that if more people knew Forsyth's The Elements of Eloquence, the world would be a better place, but it would certainly sound a great deal better.

[41] Reviewer Matthew Parris wrote: A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions was published on 3 November 2016.

The author begins with the Paleolithic period, and then examines the cultures of such countries and epochs as Sumer, ancient Egypt, the Aztec Empire, antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Muslim world, the Wild West, the Prohibition era, and Russia.

The New York Times Book Review called it an “entertaining bar-hop through the past 10,000 years.” [43] Forsyth wrote the introduction for the new edition of Collins English Dictionary.