René Kalisky

René Kalisky (Brussels, 1936 - Paris, 1981) was a Belgian writer of Polish descent who is best known for the plays he wrote in the last 12 years of his life. Kalisky, whose father, Abraham Kaliski, was killed at Auschwitz, was himself hidden from harm during World War II. These wartime experiences first enabled him to write powerfully on Jewish subjects. Thereafter, he wrote essays and journalism as well as an extensive number of plays dealing with issues that were often questioning history, ethics, and furthermore with the human spirit and intimacy in relationships. His broad work, although he died at 44, is among the most powerful and influential of 20th century dramatic art.