Rebecca Gowers

When Sir Ernest Gowers wrote his charming and authoritative 'Plain Words', it was expected to serve simply as a guide to proper English usage for the civil service. Within its first year, however, its humorous authorial voice and stylish simplicity had led to the printing of seven editions, and by the end of 1949 it had sold over 200,000 copies. Sir Ernest's great grand-daughter, novelist and language enthusiast Rebecca Gowers, has worked closely...