News | Thursday, 10th July 2008
‘Corrie’ creator receives Doctorate
Tony's delight at honour
CORONATION Street creator Tony Warren has been honoured by Manchester Metropolitan University.
Warren, 72, becomes an Honorary Doctor of Letters in recognition of his contribution to ground-breaking television and creative writing which "has helped put Manchester and Salford on the cultural map."
He received the honour at the 2008 Graduation Ceremony for MMU's Faculty of Humanities, Law and Social Science at the Bridgewater Hall.
Tony Warren, MBE, is a novelist and screenwriter. Now semi-retired from writing, he works as an advisor on Coronation Street discussing scripts and storylines.
Influential
The Swinton-born writer has also penned novels about the North-West including Lights of Manchester, Behind Closed Doors, an autobiography, I Was Ena Sharples' Father; and a film, Ferry Cross the Mersey.
Dr Andrew Biswell, Director of MMU's Writing School, said: "His work has been influential for many generations of readers and viewers. We all take soaps for granted these days, but in 1960 a show about the everyday working class was extraordinary. Tony had to fight to get the series broadcast.
"There is a strong case for saying that Tony Warren he has done more than any other living writer to put Manchester and Salford on the cultural map."
When the MMU Writing School launched, Tony was among our first honorary fellows and still gives seminars for the benefit of English and Creative Writing students.
Queer Up North
Warren is also known as an influential advocate of equal rights for gay men, lesbians and trans-gendered people and is involved with the Queer Up North festival. In 2000 he was awarded the MBE for services to TV and drama and received the Landmark Achievement Award at the National Television Awards in 2006.
Tony said: "I am the last person who ever expected to be offered an Honorary degree but I will be delighted to get it. All I've ever done is to try to entertain and to show people that there is much to love about the back street."
