''Piano Lessons'' is a 2009 award-winning non-fiction book by Australian classical pianist

Anna Goldsworthy Anna Louise Goldsworthy is an Australian classical pianist, writer, academic, playwright, and librettist, known for her 2009 memoir '' Piano Lessons''. She has held several academic positions, and is director of the Elder Conservatorium at th ...

. In ''Piano Lessons'', Goldsworthy documents her piano study from a young age under the Russian emigre Eleonora Sivan.

Synopsis

Goldsworthy was nine years old when she met Eleonora Sivan, a charismatic Russian émigré and world-class pianist who became her piano teacher. ''Piano Lessons'' documents what Sivan brought to Goldsworthy's lessons: a love of music, a respect for life, a generous spirit and the courage to embrace a musical life.

Publication

Originally published in Australia in October 2009 by

Black Inc Schwartz Publishing is an Australian publishing house, digital media, and news media organisation based in Melbourne, established by Australian property developer Morry Schwartz in the 1980s. Since the late 1990s many of its publications have a ...

, the US rights were sold to American publisher

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building (New York City), Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishe ...

Critical reception

The United States Poet Laureate, Philip Levine, said of ''Piano Lessons'', "I have never read a better depiction of a great mentor and of how true learning takes place. Every teacher of anything should read this book. Twice." The book was received positively by Australian critics. James Kenny, writing in the ''

Australian Literary Review The ''Australian Literary Review'' (ALR) was a monthly supplement to ''The Australian'' newspaper established in September 2006 and published on the first Wednesday of each month. The headquarters was in Surry Hills, New South Wales. It was co ...

'', called ''Piano Lessons'' a "wonderful story, elegantly told". Jo Case, writing in ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'', said that it was "multi-layered, rich with meditations on identity, creativity, ambition and achievement; deeply felt without a hint of sentimentality. This impressive debut will surely mark Anna Goldsworthy's arrival as an Australian writer to be reckoned with."

Awards

''Piano Lessons'' was shortlisted for a number of awards, including best non-fiction at the

New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, th ...

and the 2010

Australian Book Industry Awards The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) are publishers' and literary awards held by the Australian Publishers Association (APA) annually in Australia since 2001. The awards celebrate "the achievements of authors and publishers in bringing Au ...

, and Goldsworthy won Newcomer of the Year at these awards.

Adaptations

The film rights to the book were sold to director

Ana Kokkinos Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film and television director and screenwriter of Greek descent. She is known for her breakthrough feature film ''Head On (1998 film), Head On'' (1998), and has directed television shows such as ''The Secret Life o ...

in 2010.

References

{{reflist

External links

"Anna Goldsworthy"
interview with Anna Goldsmith, readings.com.au, 1 October 2009

discussion with Black Inc., 29 September 2009
interview with Goldsworthy
(audio).

ABC Radio National ABC Radio National, more commonly known as Radio National or simply RN, is an Australian nationwide public service radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. ...

, ''The Music Show'' with Andrew Ford, 2009 Australian autobiographies St. Martin's Press books 2009 non-fiction books Music autobiographies Piano Black Inc books