The second son of orchardist Ernest Ewers and Annie Eliza (née Gray), John Keith Ewer was educated at James Street Intermediate and Perth Modern schools before training as a teacher Clarement Teachers' College.
In 1924 he was posted to a small school at South Tammin, and that same year had his first short story, written under the nom-de-plume, 'J. K. Waterjugs,' published in
Australian Journal. While teaching Western Australia's wheat belt region Ewers found much inspiration for settings and characters, and went on to publish more than forty pieces of work (mainly short stories) in local newspapers (Gregory, n. pag.).
Between 1929 and 1939 Ewers taught at Beaconsfield State School, south of Fremantle. He self-published his first collection of poems,
Boy and Silver, in 1929 and followed this in 1933 with his first novel,
Money Street. During the 1930s he wrote regular literary reviews for the
West Australian, which later led to a column, 'Australian Bookman', being published in the
Daily News. In 1939 he left Beaconsfield State School to take up a position at Nedlands (1939-1942), followed by Perth Boys' High (1943-1947). He then retired from teaching to become a full-time writer. Over the next two decades he published five major works of fiction, as well as a variety of other works, including poetry, educational texts, critical essays and at least one book on local history. His major works include:
Tales from the Dead Heart (1944),
Men Against the Earth (1946),
For Heroes to Live In (1948),
Harvest and Other Stories (1949) and
Who Rides on the River? (1956). After his death Ewers' wife and daughter edited his autobiography,
Long Enough for a Joke (1983).
[Source: Jenny Gregory '
Ewers, John Keith (1904-1978),'
Australian Dictionary of Biography]
