He attended high school in Slatina and Constanța, followed by the literature and philosophy faculty of the University of Bucharest.
His first novel was the 1936 Nuntă cu bucluc, which came with an appreciative preface by Eugen Lovinescu, who called him "Muntenia's Creangă".
Among his other books are O daravelă de proces (1941), Lacrimi pe pâine (1967), Soare cu dinți (1974) and Marea vâlvătaie, vol.
Publications that ran his work include Sburătorul, Vremea, Revista Fundațiilor Regale and Argeș.
Iovescu's setting is the slum-like village, where he brings stories to life, peppering them with his large fund of proverbs, which in fact form the basis for many of his tales.