This week on The Lonely Arts Club, Martin McQuillan is joined by author and screenwriter, Tony Schumacher,

Tony, who grew up in Huyton, Liverpool, is the creator and writer of hit BBC drama, The Responder, starring Martin Freeman. The series took over our screens and had everyone talking earlier this year.

Although admitting that learning was a huge challenge for him growing up, Tony always had ambitions of becoming a writer and although he often kept this aspiration to himself, the seed had been planted and it never left his mind.

After a run of poorly suited jobs, Tony surprised even himself when he landed a position in the police force. Thinking that was his career, pension and retirement years mapped out for him, a turbulent few years later and a serendipitous meeting in a taxi meant that the writing dream was still not over.

We hear of the ups, the downs and all the gritty bits that have brought Tony to where he is now.

Please note that some listeners may find it hard to hear about certain incidents that Tony found particularly hard to deal with, which also affected his mental health.

This podcast is brought to you by the Institute for Creative Enterprise at Edge Hill University.

Making connections through culture.

The podcast is edited by Roz DiCaprio who is the producer alongside Karen Appleton and Carl Hunter.

Audio production is by Sam Auguste of Onomatopoeia Studios in Liverpool.

Music is by Joseph McDade.

For more information on the work of the Institute for Creative Enterprise and courses at Edge Hill University, visit edgehill.ac.uk/ice

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