Sir Ernest Gowers

British, 1880 - 1966

While now best remembered for his style guides, Sir Ernest Gowers spent most of his life as a civil servant rather than as an author. He has been called “one of the greatest public servants of his day” for his performance in many prestigious appointments. His book Plain Words was in fact originally intended as a text on bureaucratic English for civil service training courses, though it achieved much wider fame. After establishing himself as an author, Gowers bought a house and small farm in Sussex, where he wrote and gardened until his death in 1966.