Mick is a Booker Prize–shortlisted author of four novels and two collections of short stories. His novels – The Underground Man, Five Boys, The Widow’s Tale and Yuki Chan in Bronte Country – have been shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award, runner-up for the Encore Award and won The Royal Society of Authors First Novel Award and East Anglian Book of the Year.

His short story, 'The Pearce Sisters', was adapted by Aardman Films and won a BAFTA for Best Short Animation. In recent years he has also been writing for children. While You’re Sleeping (illustrated by John Broadley) was one of the New York Times Best Children’s Illustrated Books, 2021 and shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize.

Since 2015 he has been a visiting lecturer on the Creative Writing and Publishing MA at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation and taught on the Hull University (online) Creative Writing MA, Lancaster University’s Creative Writing (Distant Learning) MA and the Children’s Illustration MA at Goldsmiths University.