St. John Greer Ervine

St. John Greer Ervine (28 December 1883 – 24 January 1971) was an Irish writer. He worked as a biographer, novelist, critic, dramatist, and theatre manager. He was an important writer from Ulster in the early twentieth century. His writing influenced other famous playwrights like W. B. Yeats and Sean O'Casey.

One of his famous books, The Wayward Man, looked at the people and problems of Belfast in a special way. His work helped shape Irish literature and drama during his time.

Biography

John Greer Irvine, known as St John Ervine, was born in Ballymacaratt in east Belfast. His family lived in County Down for many years. After his father died, Ervine moved in with his grandmother. When he was 17, he began working in an office in Belfast before moving to London.

In London, Ervine met George Bernard Shaw and started writing plays. His first big play, Mixed Marriage, was performed at Dublin's Abbey Theatre in 1911 and became very popular. Ervine later managed the Abbey Theatre and helped it become successful again with new comedies. He also served in the military during the war and was wounded, so he left the service.

Ervine became famous for his plays and novels, writing many popular works. He also wrote biographies about important people, including William Booth, Oscar Wilde, and George Bernard Shaw. His novel The Wayward Man is well-known for showing life in Belfast.

Personal life

In 1911, Ervine married Leonora Mary Davis. She was a teacher, actress, and playwright from Birmingham. Later, they moved to Seaton, Devon in the 1940s.

Ervine passed away on 24 January 1971 in Fitzhall, Iping, Sussex.

Selected plays

St. John Greer Ervine wrote many plays. Some of his plays are Mixed Marriage, The Magnanimous Lover, The Critics, Jane Clegg, The Orangeman, and John Ferguson.

Recently, Mixed Marriage was performed at the Finborough Theatre in London and got great praise. The same theatre also performed John Ferguson in 2014 and Jane Clegg in 2019.

Novels

St. John Greer Ervine wrote many novels. Some of his well-known books include The Tailor of Charing Cross from 1912, Mrs Martin's Man from 1914, Alice and a Family from 1915, Changing Winds from 1917, The Foolish Lovers from 1920, and The Wayward Man from 1927. His novel The Wayward Man was later republished in 2014 by Turnpike Books in Dublin.