AJ d’Aquila: often confused with an Anglo-Italian entertainment producer
with similar initials.
You won’t have heard of him either, but you may well have been delighted
/ horrified / tickled / shocked by some of his work on BBC Radios 2, 3,
4 & 5, without realising it.
You might even have experienced his creative and editorial contributions
to films and series on the BBC, the CBC, the Doc Channel and at the cinema,
but I doubt it (although millions have).
He’s been at it for years behind the scenes, inventing, twisting, shaping
stories… nobody taking the blindest bit of notice,
except for a bunch of generous national newspaper critics during his
spell at Radio 4, who made all his shows Pick of the Week and wrote things
like…
"The most dramatic series for ages" - Observer
"Riveting new archaeological series" - Independent
"The most popular programme on Radio 4" - BBC memo after audience
survey
(re: Bodies of Evidence,
presented by Tony Robinson)
"Disgracefully funny & quite unlike anything else on radio... More
please" - Daily Mail
(A Retiring Fellow,
satirical travel series written with the unique Willie Donaldson)
"A triumph of tight, sharp editing & production" - Sunday Times
(Beam Me Up, Scotty,
space age design & pop culture with John Peel)
"Exquisitely produced mini-series" - Daily Telegraph
(Fedback, adaptation
of early letters to the BBC, with Piers Bishop, Ken Cranham et al)
"Thoughtful & chilling" - Guardian
"Grim but essential listening" - Mail on Sunday
(The Psychology Of War,
heavy duty war series with ex-commando Hugh McManners)
Other potentially relevant skills:
He once narrated kids’ books for a publisher in Japan, hosted a radio
series on the World Service and devised special effects for a Hollywood
movie.
He’s taught English (EFL) to kids aged 7 to 17 and Media
Studies to university students.
He speaks 6 languages, fixes toilets and is an avid composter (as in
decomposing, he’s no Mozart).
He’s currently finishing a semi-animated TV documentary exploring children’s
literature
and he’d like to spend the next 30 years writing books for children,
in case you were wondering.