The Stage

Evening Standard arts columnist Norman Lebrecht to leave paper

Published Tuesday 23 June 2009 at 15:43 by Alistair Smith

Norman Lebrecht, arts columnist and former assistant editor of the Evening Standard, has announced he is to leave the recently rebranded newspaper this week.

Norman Lebrecht, who joined the paper in March 2002 with a brief to revitalise its arts coverage, said: “After writing a weekly column for 15 years I owe myself a short sabbatical and my desire for a break coincided with a change of direction at the Standard.

“The new editor, Geordie Greig, very kindly asked me to stay on, but I have a new series coming up on BBC Radio 3, a novel coming out next month and a sheaf of plans to continue writing about the arts in my own particular way, so it seemed a good moment to make a clean break. I wish the Standard and those who work in it nothing but the best for the future.”

Greig added: “Norman Lebrecht has been an extraordinary presence in the Standard and a great commentator on the arts in general. Norman has told us about his exciting plans for the future, and we wish him the very best on his new radio series and his new book.”