John Alexander Stewart, the son of a farmer in northern Ireland, moved to London in the 1950s. he is the author of three historical novels, The Centurion, translated into German, Italian and Spanish, The Last Romans, placed in the time of Justinian and Boethius, and Marsilio, centred on the early life of the Florentine philosopher-priest, Marsilio Ficino. He has written two biographies, Standing for Justice, on the life of Andrew MacLaren MP, and A Promise Kept, on the work of a Christian trade unionist.