Michael Elder
Michael Aiken Elder, born in 1931 in London, England, was a notable figure in the realms of writing and theater, deeply influenced by his Scottish heritage. At the age of eight, he moved to St. Andrews, Scotland, where his passion for acting and storytelling blossomed. He made his theatrical debut at the Byre Theatre and began writing early, publishing his first novel as a teenager. Elder trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and became an integral part of the Scottish theater scene, notably with the Citizens Theatre Company and the Gateway Company, where he participated in numerous productions.
Throughout his career, Elder authored over a dozen science-fiction novels, often exploring themes of space exploration and time travel, alongside works focused on Scottish history. He gained significant recognition for his contributions to the Scottish television series "Take the High Road," where he not only wrote scripts but also portrayed a character. Despite facing chronic health challenges, Elder's resilience and dedication to his craft left a lasting impact on British literature and theater, earning him a unique place in cultural history.
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Michael Elder
Writer
- Born: April 30, 1931
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: July 28, 2004
- Place of death: Edinburgh, Scotland
Biography
Michael Aiken Elder was born in London, England, in 1931. His parents, Marjorie and Dr. Howard Elder, were Scots temporarily residing in London. World War II became a turning point for young Michael; at age eight he went to live with his aunt in St. Andrews, Scotland. The boy quickly came to love all things Scottish. This would later affect his life choices and the projects to which he was drawn.
Even as a boy his dual interests in writing and in the theater were evident. At age twelve he started acting on stage at the Byre, a small theater in St. Andrews. On every vacation from his London secondary school, he came back to St. Andrews and hung around the Byre. Plagued with diabetes, he wrote instead of trying out for sports. His first novel, The Affair at Invergarroc, was published in 1950, when he was a teenager. He then attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, from which he received a diploma in 1951. Like a homing pigeon, though, he came back to the Byre at every opportunity and began to act in other Scottish theaters as well, ending up in Glasgow as a member of the Citizens Theatre Company. He married Sheila Donald, an actress, in 1953. They went on to join Edinburgh’s new Gateway Company shortly thereafter, taking part in the production of more than seventy plays by Scottish playwrights during the next seven years. Their two sons were also born during this period.
Meanwhile, Elder continued to write, producing three novels with theatrical settings before trying other subgenres. He ended up writing more than a dozen science-fiction novels during his career, as well as television scripts and children’s books. Elder’s science fiction books tended to have space exploration and/or time-travel scenarios. “A man trapped in the wrong century on the wrong planet,” was the capsule premise of one novel(Nowhere on Earth, 1972).
His other interest, Scottish history, was the basis for several novels Elder wrote during the 1980’s. The project he became best known for, however, was probably his connection with the Scottish television series Take the High Road. He regularly wrote scripts for this show from 1987 through 1997, along with playing the part of a doctor in it, and writing a summary history of its first ten years (Take the High Road: The First Ten Years, 1990).
Elder carried on a multi-centered and busy career in the face of chronic and severe physical limitations since childhood. He maintained his professionalism and good humor through multiple health problems in his later years, winning him a unique place in the annals of British science fiction and theater.