Elisha, Ron 1951-

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ELISHA, Ron 1951-

PERSONAL: Born December 19, 1951, in Jerusalem, Israel; son of David (a builder) and Haya (Bash) Elisha; married Bertha Rita Rubin (an administrator), December 6, 1981; children: Raphael, Abby. Ethnicity: "Israeli." Education: University of Melbourne, M.B., B.S., 1975. Politics: "None (tending to anarchy)." Religion: "Atheist." Hobbies and other interests: Music, carpentry.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—2 Malonga Ct., North Caulfield, Victoria 3161, Australia; fax: 03-9576-1967. Agent—Sandy Wagner, 12/44A Bayswater Rd., Kings Cross, New South Wales 2011, Australia. E-mail—relisha@bigpond.net.au.

CAREER: General practitioner of medicine, Melbourne, Australia, 1977—.

MEMBER: Australian Writers Guild.

AWARDS, HONORS: Awgie Awards, Australian Writers Guild, 1982, 1984 and 1992; Gold Award, best screenplay, Houston International Film Festival, 1990.

WRITINGS:

PLAYS

In Duty Bound, Yackandandah Playscripts (Montmorency, Australia), 1983.

Two, Currency Press (Sydney, Australia), 1985.

Einstein, Penguin (Ringwood, Australia), 1986.

The Levine Comedy, Yackandandah Playscripts (Montmorency, Australia), 1987.

Safe House, Currency Press (Sydney, Australia), 1989.

Esterhaz, Currency Press (Sydney, Australia), 1990.

Pax Americana, Yackandandah Playscripts (Montmorency, Australia), 1990.

Choice, Currency Press (Sydney, Australia), 1994.

Unknown Soldier, Playbox Theater Company, 1996.

The Goldberg Variations, Currency Press (Sydney, Australia), 2000.

OTHER

Pigtales (children's book), illustrated by Craig Smith, Random House Australia, 1994.

Too Big (children's book), illustrated by Cathy Netherwood, Random House Australia, 1997.

Contributor to periodicals, including Medical Observer.

WORK IN PROGRESS: One children's book, Ferry Tales; several plays, including Jesus's Blood, Acts of Dog, Affairs of the Heartless, Wandering Gentile, A Tree, Falling, Renaissance, Answers, Wrongful Life, The Capgras Delusion, and The Stayman Convention; three novels, The Hangman's Table, Paris, and Paper Cuts; several screenplays, including Money, Seven Hills to Happiness, Saviours, Critters, Star Quality, Star Crossed, Help Wanted, Boomers, November, and Duty of Care.

SIDELIGHTS: Ron Elisha once commented: "My main motivation in writing for children is to create something that adults and children can read together, without boring the pants off either.

"I believe that it's never too early for children to be introduced to the concept of irony, a sorely undervalued commodity in writing for the young. I don't believe that endings need necessarily be either neat or happy, nor do I feel that children should be led to believe that the world is just or makes sense.

"I do believe that we should avoid the dumbing-down of children's literature that is being forced upon us by frightened editors. It's time that we, as writers, did our part to ensure that those who come after us are provided with the equipment they will need to express themselves. True expression requires precision. Precision requires both vocabulary and grammar. A child doesn't attain either without being stretched by the books he or she reads."