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

Anna Goldsworthy

Anna Goldsworthy is an Australian writer and classical pianist.-Life:Goldsworthy was born in Adelaide as the eldest daughter of the writer Peter Goldsworthy and Dr Helen Goldsworthy, and began studying the piano at the age of six...

, Artist in Residence of Janet Clarke Hall (University of Melbourne)

Janet Clarke Hall (University of Melbourne)

Janet Clarke Hall is an Anglican residential college of the University of Melbourne.- History :Established in 1886 as a residential hostel for women students of Trinity College, the College was named after a significant benefactor...

, and Artistic Director of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival.

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

Originally published in Australia in October 2009 by Black Inc., the US rights were sold to American publisher St. Martin's Press

St. Martin's Press

St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...

The film rights to the book have been sold to director Ana Kokkinos

Ana Kokkinos

Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film director. Kokkinos was born in Melbourne and prior to her career in film, she worked as an industrial lawyer...

.

Synopsis

Goldsworthy was nine years old when she met Eleanora Sivan, a charismatic Russian émigré and world-class pianist who became her piano teacher. Piano Lessons documents what Mrs. 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. Piano Lessons takes the reader on a journey into the heart and meaning of music.

Critical reception

The book was received positively by Australian critics.

The Australian Literary Review

Australian Literary Review

The Australian Literary Review was a monthly supplement to The Australian newspaper established in September 2006 and published on the first Wednesday of each month. It was considered to be a continuation of The Australian's Review of Books, which was a supplement published between 1996 and 2001...

 called Piano Lessons a "wonderful story, elegantly told", broadsheet The Age

The Age

The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...

 said Piano Lessons 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 NSW Premier's Literary Awards as well as Best Non-Fiction at the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards. Goldsworthy won Newcomer of the Year at the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards.

Interviews

• "Anna Goldsworthy", interview with Andrea Goldsmith, Readings.com.au, 1 October 2009
• "An interview with Anna Goldsworthy", discussion with Black Inc., 29 September 2009
• Audio: ABC Radio National The Music Show with Andrew Ford interview with Anna Goldsworthy

External links

• Video – Video of the Australian book launch of Piano Lessons
• Book website – Official page for Piano Lessons
• A blog for the book
• Audio: Popular Twitter site
• Audio: Excerpt from the audio book version of Piano Lessons