Yellow Leaf

In Yellow Leaf, discover the journey of pianist Will as he navigates the uncharted waters of starting again after the unexpected breakdown of his fourteen-year long marriage to his childhood sweetheart. As he reflects on his past and his marriage, Will must confront the question of who he is outside of his relationship and what he truly wants from life, work, and love. With humour and heart, the novel follows Will’s evolution as he immerses himself in the world of film making and encounters a diverse cast of characters from the music, media, academic and cultural spheres. Through this journey of self-discovery, Will not only reinvents himself but also challenges the perceptions of classical music. This introspective and thought-provoking story offers a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of a man amid a mid-life awakening.

Gordon Stewart is a musician, broadcaster and writer.

From early days in a Durham mining village, his educational journey took him to a school in Hampstead, then to Cambridge and a Modern Languages degree, and on to the Royal College of Music and a London University music degree.

As a pianist, he performed widely as a soloist and yet more as a partner of instrumentalists and singers. He knows the recording studio well, both as a performer and as a producer on the other side of the glass.

He was encouraged to work for the BBC and broadcast extensively in programmes for Radio 3 and the World Service. After a few years he joined the staff of Radio 3’s Music Department, eventually becoming its Deputy Head. He’s written, produced and presented hundreds of programmes, including six studio operas, one of which is now on CD.

His production of the first live music broadcast on radio of a concert from Leningrad, as it then was, gained a Sony Award for the outstanding radio music broadcast of 1986.

His professional writing, alongside the many scripts, includes programme notes for concert venues such as the Wigmore Hall and the Barbican, and a Third Leader for The Times.

Yellow Leaf is his first novel. He continues to write, both fact and fiction.