author
St. John G. (St. John Greer) Ervine
1883–1971
Best remembered for vivid, realistic dramas rooted in Ulster life, this Belfast-born writer also built a wide-ranging career as a novelist, biographer, critic, and theatre manager. His early plays helped bring working-class experience and domestic conflict to the Irish stage.
3 Audiobooks
The Foolish Lovers
by St. John G. (St. John Greer) Ervine
Some Impressions of My Elders
by St. John G. (St. John Greer) Ervine
Changing Winds A Novel
by St. John G. (St. John Greer) Ervine
About the author
Born in Belfast on December 28, 1883, St. John Greer Ervine left school young and went on to become one of the notable literary voices associated with early 20th-century Ulster. He wrote across several forms, including plays, novels, criticism, and biography, and is especially linked with realistic drama shaped by everyday life and social tension.
His best-known plays include Mixed Marriage, Jane Clegg, and John Ferguson, works that helped establish his reputation during the years of the Irish literary revival. He also served for a time as manager of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, placing him close to one of the central institutions of modern Irish drama.
Ervine’s career was not limited to the stage. He also worked as a critic and produced biographies as well as fiction, showing a range that went far beyond playwriting alone. He died on January 24, 1971, leaving behind a body of work still remembered for its clear-eyed portrayal of character, family strain, and the pressures of community life.