In April, 2004, Oscar-winning English playwright, author and screenwriter Ronald Harwood cancelled plans to work with a theatre company in the Canadian city of Winnipeg when he found out about the city’s blanket public smoking ban.

“The viciousness of those who outlaw smoking knows no bounds,” Harwood told the press in explaining his decision.

Harwood has fiercely criticised those cities where smoking bans have been legislated – and he has spoken out against the misplaced priorities of the health establishment: "If they spent half the energy they do outlawing smoking on helping people who suffer from arthritis, then I, for one, would be playing tennis again and dancing the light fantastic.” 

The South African-born Harwood began his theatre career in London in 1951, and since then has accumulated a long and distinguished list of achievements in theatre and film as a writer of plays and screenplays. He has also written non-fiction books.

In 2002, he won an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski.

Mr. Harwood is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a Commander of the British Empire, and a past president of the international PEN Club.