Tod Lending is an Academy Award-nominated and national Emmy-winning producer, director, writer, and cinematographer. His work has aired nationally on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and HBO; has been screened theatrically and received awards at national and international festivals, including the Sundance Film Fest.; and has been televised internationally in Europe and Asia. He is the president and founder of Nomadic Pictures, a documentary film production company based in Chicago. The Umbrella Maker's Son is his debut novel.