F. G. Fowler

Francis George Fowler (1871–1918) was an English writer and grammarian who made enduring contributions to the study of English language, grammar, and style. Born in Tunbridge Wells, Fowler was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He later settled on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where he lived and worked closely with his older brother, Henry Watson Fowler, on several major linguistic projects.

The Fowler brothers established a formidable writing partnership, most notably co-authoring The King's English in 1906. This influential guide provided practical rules for writing and became a standard reference. Following this success, the brothers embarked on an ambitious new project that would eventually become the celebrated reference book Fowler's Modern English Usage.

Fowler's career was cut short by the outbreak of World War I. While serving with the British Expeditionary Force, he contracted tuberculosis, which led to his death in 1918 at the age of 47. Although he did not live to see the completion of Modern English Usage, his brother Henry finished the work and dedicated it to Francis, warmly commemorating his nimble wit, sense of proportion, and open mind.