Scriptwriter Joe Ainsworth receives honorary award

BAFTA-winning scriptwriter Joe Ainsworth, who puts his success down to his time as Edge Hill University, has received an honorary doctorate from the institution.

The father of two from Crosby, who had written 150+ episodes of the popular Liverpool soap Brookside and who has been part of the regular writing team on Holby City since 2005, received the award for his commitment to television, dedication to the craft of writing and for his significant contribution to Britain's cultural life.

His award was conferred from the University's Chancellor Professor Tanya Byron in a ceremony on the Ormskirk campus on 19^th July. Listen to an interview with him here.

Upon receiving the award, Joe said: "I was completely shocked and stunned when I found out I was to be given an honorary degree. It's such a massive compliment and I never imagined for a minute that anything like this would ever happen to me. My family are so pleased for me and are very proud. For me it's so nice to be given such recognition for the work I've done in television and I'm honored to be given this award."

Joe spent his early years in north Liverpool, a city with a long tradition of producing innovative writers. Edge Hill was his local Higher Education college in the 1980s and even during his student days Joe was already attracting national attention for his scriptwriting work for television. A combination of talent, enthusiasm, perseverance and sheer hard work, has borne fruit over the last twenty years and landed him with a successful and rewarding career.

Since leaving Edge Hill, Joe has contributed episodes to many of Britain's most watched television series and is one of the country's most prolific TV dramatists and script consultants, a fact recognised in 2008 by a BAFTA award for ‘Best Continuing Drama' for his work on Holby City.   

He said: "I had such a great time at Edge Hill and I've always kept close ties with the University because I feel that without Edge Hill I would not have been given the opportunity to write. My time there gave me a new-found confidence and helped me rediscover reading, writing and learning which I'll always be grateful for."

Joe, who is a great inspiration for current English and Writing students considering a career in the media or in professional writing, offered some tips to students. He said: "My number one rule is don't be snobby, take anything that you're offered. Work is work and you just don't know who you're going to meet who could help you in your career."