Tony Macaulay

Tony Macaulay grew up at the top of the Shankill Road in Belfast at the start of thirty-five years of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. This experience has shaped his life. His parents were volunteer youth leaders who worked to keep children from the Shankill off the streets and safe at the height of the violence. Tony has spent the past 25 years working to build peace and reconciliation at home and abroad, working with hundreds of youth and community groups to break down barriers of mistrust, hatred and division. He now lives in Portstewart and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Ulster.

Since the publication of his first book, 'Paperboy', Tony has been invited to do book readings at a range of festivals including the Aspects Literature Festival, Open House Festival and 'Scribes at the West' at Féile an Phobail. Tony has been given an Individual Artists Programme Award by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland and has also been awarded a residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. In February 2011 he enjoyed his first book tour in the USA with the Celtic Cultural Alliance, Lehigh and Desales Universities in Pennsylvania.

The film rights of 'Paperboy' have been picked up by Titian Red Pictures, producers of the award winning 'Song for a Raggy Boy'.