BBC Radio 4 - Factual - Desert Island Discs -Paul Abbott

If you don't already know about "Desert Island Discs", you should try and catch it - even a seemingly dull, academic guest is more often than not a fascinating voyage around the human soul ... last week's guest was fascinating (see below), even though I don't care for his work. It's that kind of show.

Next week's guest is the transvestite potter, Grayson Perry - should be fascinating - I love his work and admire his chutzpah as much as his talent ...

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Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the screen writer Paul Abbott. He has written some of the most controversial and successful television programmes of the past decade. Shameless, Clocking Off and State of Play all flowed from his pen and have won him bags of awards.

But he was driven to write as a response to the chaotic and traumatic childhood he’d suffered. One of eight children, both parents had left the family home by the time he was eleven, leaving his older sister to bring them up. They had a near feral existence, and lived, says Paul, like rats.

At fifteen he attempted suicide and ended up in a psychiatric ward. After that, without wanting to or really being aware it was happening, he wrote as a way of letting out the rage he felt inside him. He quickly was able to turn this writing into short stories, radio plays and film scripts and to sell them. Now he is credited with making television the 'new National Theatre'. But it's not his greatest achievement - he is proudest of his successful marriage to Saskia, his wife of eighteen years, and of their two children.

Record: Town Called Malice
Book: Complete works of Arthur Miller
Luxury: Writing pad and pencils

Full list of his selected records and a great overview of past guests at: BBC Radio 4 - Factual - Desert Island Discs -Paul Abbott