Ronald Harwood to deliver Screenwriters Masterclass at the 22nd Galway Film Fleadh
Ron Harwood can write the ins and outs of theatrical life better than anyone. In 1960 he began his career as a writer penning plays, novels and non-fiction books and is the only Oscar winning screenwriter ever to write a book on screenwriting "Ronald Harwood's Adaptations". Harwood continued at a prolific pace penning more than 21 stage plays, and 10 books. He also created more than 16 screen plays, seldom writing original material directly for the screen, usually acting as an adapter, sometimes of his own work (notably ‘The Dresser').
Harwood also wrote the screenplay for the films, ‘The Browning Version' (1994) with Albert Finney, ‘Being Julia' (2004) with Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons, and Roman Polanski's version of ‘Oliver Twist' (2005) with Sir Ben Kingsley. He won an Academy Award for the script of ‘The Pianist', having already been nominated for ‘The Dresser' in 1983. Harwood received his third Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2007 for his adaptation of the memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby, ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly', for which he also won a BAFTA and the Prix Jacques Prevert Du Scenario, 2008, for Best Adaptation. In 2008 he was also awarded the Humanitas Award in recognition of ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'.
He was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1974 and was Visitor in Theatre at Balliol College, Oxford in 1985. He was President of English PEN, 1989-1993, President of International PEN, 1993-97, and Chairman of the Royal Society of Literature. In 1996 he was appointed Chevalier de l'ordre National des Arts et des Lettres. In 1999, he was appointed a CBE. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Keele University in 2002. He is President of the Royal Literary Fund 2005-present. He was made an Honorary Fellow of Central School of Speech and Drama in 2006.
The Master Class will take place on Wednesday, July 7th in the Radisson Hotel, Galway. For further information or to apply for a place, contact Bronagh Keys at 091-562200 or email http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/admin/masterclasses@galwayfilmfleadh.com
Closing date for applications is June 25th 2010.