Authorship history
Who writes Hewey Calloway?
The Hewey Calloway series was created by Elmer Kelton, who wrote 6 of its 6 novels (1978–2025). The most recent entry, Elmer Kelton's The Blessing (2025), was continued by John Bradshaw; earlier books in the rotation were written by Steve Kelton.
See the full Hewey Calloway reading order → · Elmer Kelton's author page →
The full authorship picture
- CreatorElmer Kelton6 novels
- Continuation authorSteve Kelton2 books — from Elmer Kelton's The Unlikely Lawman (2022) to Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger (2024)
- Continuation authorJohn Bradshaw2 books — from Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger (2024) to Elmer Kelton's The Blessing (2025)
Several of these writers' credited books overlap in publication order rather than following on cleanly from one another — the table below shows exactly who wrote which book.
Every book, with its credited writer
Publication order. Every credit below is the byline recorded for that specific book — this is the checkable source for the summary above.
The Good Old Boys (1978)novel
by Elmer Kelton
The Smiling Country (1998)novel
by Elmer Kelton
Six Bits a Day (2005)novel
by Elmer Kelton
Elmer Kelton's The Unlikely Lawman (2022)novel
by Elmer Kelton · Continuation author: Steve Kelton
Elmer Kelton's The Familiar Stranger (2024)novel
by Elmer Kelton · Continuation author: John Bradshaw · Continuation author: Steve Kelton
Elmer Kelton's The Blessing (2025)novel
by Elmer Kelton · Continuation author: John Bradshaw
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Hewey Calloway series now?
The Hewey Calloway series was created by Elmer Kelton, who wrote 6 of its 6 novels (1978–2025). The most recent entry, Elmer Kelton's The Blessing (2025), was continued by John Bradshaw; earlier books in the rotation were written by Steve Kelton.
Who created the Hewey Calloway series?
The Hewey Calloway series was created by Elmer Kelton, who wrote 6 of its 6 novels (1978–2025).