Piano Lessons (book)

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.{{cite web | last=Hyles | first=Claudia | title=Mestra | website=Australian Book Review | date=November 2009 | url=https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2009/287-november-2009-no-316/11031-claudia-hyles-reviews-piano-lessons-by-anna-goldsworthy | access-date=9 November 2023 | url-access=subscription | archive-date=9 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109073643/https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2009/287-november-2009-no-316/11031-claudia-hyles-reviews-piano-lessons-by-anna-goldsworthy | url-status=live }}{{cite web | title=Piano Lessons (2009), by Anna Goldsworthy | website=ANZ LitLovers LitBlog | date=17 October 2009 | url=https://anzlitlovers.com/2009/10/18/piano-lessons-2009-by-anna-goldsworthy/ | access-date=9 November 2023 | archive-date=9 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109071849/https://anzlitlovers.com/2009/10/18/piano-lessons-2009-by-anna-goldsworthy/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.readings.com.au/interview/anna-goldsworthy |title=Anna Goldsworthy Interview |accessdate=2010-08-14 |publisher=readings.com.au |archive-date=15 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615045606/http://www.readings.com.au/interview/anna-goldsworthy |url-status=live }}

Originally published in Australia in October 2009 by Black Inc, the US rights were sold to American publisher St. Martin's Press.{{cite web |url=http://us.macmillan.com/pianolessons |title=Macmillan: Piano Lessons |accessdate=2010-08-14 |publisher=macmillan.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903190206/http://us.macmillan.com/pianolessons |archive-date=3 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}

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."{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Philip |title=A Year in Reading: Philip Levine |url=https://themillions.com/2011/12/a-year-in-reading-philip-levine.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=The Millions |date=8 December 2011 |language=en |archive-date=30 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530062538/https://themillions.com/2011/12/a-year-in-reading-philip-levine.html |url-status=live }}

The book was received positively by Australian critics.{{cite web|url=http://www.annagoldsworthy.com/reviews.html |title=Reviews |accessdate=2010-08-14 |publisher=annagoldsworthy.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724183829/http://www.annagoldsworthy.com/reviews.html |archivedate=24 July 2010 }}

James Kenny, writing in the Australian Literary Review, called Piano Lessons a "wonderful story, elegantly told".{{cite journal |first=James |last=Kenny |title=Anna Goldsworthy's Piano Lessons |journal=Australian Literary Review |volume=82 |issue=3 |pages=81–82 |date=October 2009}}

Jo Case, writing in The Age, 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."{{cite journal |first=Jo |last=Case |authorlink=Jo Case |title=Piano Lessons |journal=The Age |date=6 November 2009 |pages=49}}

Piano Lessons was shortlisted for a number of awards, including best non-fiction at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards{{cite web | title=BREAKING NEWS: 2010 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Shortlists | website=Booktopia | date=8 April 2010 | url=https://www.booktopia.com.au/blog/2010/04/08/breaking-news-2010-nsw-premiers-literary-awards-shortlists/ | access-date=14 November 2023 | archive-date=26 February 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226234844/https://www.booktopia.com.au/blog/2010/04/08/breaking-news-2010-nsw-premiers-literary-awards-shortlists/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web| url= https://entree-media.records.nsw.gov.au/pairtree/acb56d6a7eba4f389f7081a5b558bebc/cf/9d/ec/47/96/3d/49/02/ba/3d/40/b0/7c/52/3a/d2/0/100407-Premiers-Literary-Awards.pdf| title= 2010 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards| date= 7 April 2010| publisher= NSW Government| access-date= 14 November 2023| archive-date= 14 November 2023| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231114092909/https://entree-media.records.nsw.gov.au/pairtree/acb56d6a7eba4f389f7081a5b558bebc/cf/9d/ec/47/96/3d/49/02/ba/3d/40/b0/7c/52/3a/d2/0/100407-Premiers-Literary-Awards.pdf| url-status= live}} and the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards,{{cite web | title=Book awards: Australian Book Industry Awards | website=LibraryThing.com | url=https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Australian+Book+Industry+Awards | access-date=14 November 2023 | archive-date=14 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114094126/https://www.librarything.com/bookaward/Australian+Book+Industry+Awards | url-status=live }} and Goldsworthy won Newcomer of the Year at these awards.{{cite web | title=Piano Lessons by Anna Goldsworthy | website=Black Inc. | date=6 March 2023 | url=https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/piano-lessons | access-date=6 November 2023 | archive-date=6 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106052358/https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/piano-lessons | url-status=live }}{{cite web | last=Middlemiss | first=Perry | title=2010 Australian Book Industry Award Winners | website=Perry Middlemiss's Home Page | date=20 July 2010 | url=http://www.middlemiss.org/matilda/2010/07/2010-australian-book-industry-award-winners.html | access-date=14 November 2023 | archive-date=14 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114094124/http://www.middlemiss.org/matilda/2010/07/2010-australian-book-industry-award-winners.html | url-status=live }}{{cite magazine| url=https://www.adelaide.edu.au/lumen/issues/45341/news45701.html| work=Lumen| publisher=University of Adelaide| title=Goldsworthy graduates leave their mark| date=Winter 2011| first=Robyn| last=Mills| access-date=14 November 2023| archive-date=14 November 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114025554/https://www.adelaide.edu.au/lumen/issues/45341/news45701.html| url-status=live}}

The film rights to the book were sold to director Ana Kokkinos in 2010.{{cite web | title=Development approvals | website=Screen Australia | date=16 March 2018 | url=https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support/feature-films/funding-approvals/in-the-archive/development-approvals/2010 | access-date=14 November 2023 | archive-date=14 November 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114043310/https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support/feature-films/funding-approvals/in-the-archive/development-approvals/2010 | url-status=live }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.readings.com.au/news/interview--anna-goldsworthy# "Anna Goldsworthy"], interview with Anna Goldsmith, readings.com.au, 1 October 2009
• [http://theincblot.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-anna-goldsworthy.html "An interview with Anna Goldsworthy"], discussion with Black Inc., 29 September 2009
• [http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2009/11/msw_20091114_1005.mp3 interview with Goldsworthy] (audio). ABC Radio National, The Music Show with Andrew Ford, 2009

Category:Australian autobiographies

Category:St. Martin's Press books

Category:2009 non-fiction books

Category:Music autobiographies

Category:Piano

Category:Black Inc books