MSt alumna Sophy Roberts was interviewed about her book The Lost Pianos of Siberia on Music Matters on BBC Radio Three. The Lost Pianos of Siberia is published by Doubleday in the UK (February 2020), and Grove Press in the US (June 2020).
About the BBC programme, which you can listen to here.
‘Kate also catches-up with the author Sophy Roberts to learn about her travels across Siberia in search of the backstories of keyboards scattered across an eleventh of the world’s landmass. From clavichords transported by governors on sledge, through pianos which have weathered the region’s furtive cold, to a keyboard hacked out of a Gulag bunkbed frame, Kate hears how these instruments embody the soul of Siberia.”
Praise for The Lost Pianos of Siberia
“Stunningly written … This is a wonderful book.” — Sunday Times
“An absorbing history illuminates a bleak landscape.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Hugely compelling … Roberts is a wonderfully lyrical writer.” — The Observer
“A quixotic quest, a picaresque travel adventure and a strange forgotten story all wrapped into this one fascinating book.” — Simon Sebag-Montefiore
“What shines through in this book is Roberts’s genuine, humane affection for and fascination with the people she meets in Siberia.” — Literary Review
“An exploration of tragic echoes, harmonious transience and persistent mysteries at the edges of the world.” — The Times Literary Supplement
“The book’s richness is in its tangents… [a] wonderful book.” — The Financial Times
“A masterpiece of modern travel literature with words that sing from its pages.” — Levison Wood
“An amazing tour-de-force… it touches your soul.” — Radio New Zealand
“A thrilling expedition … a richly observed cultural history.” — New Statesman
“[A] quest for the perfect instrument deftly tinkles the ivories of history… Roberts’ writing is beguiling.” — Scotland on Sunday
“A sense of the extraordinary marks every page.” — History Today
“Roberts’s mix of colorful history, rich reportage, and lyrical prose makes for a beguiling narrative.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“A wonderfully intimate journey… Sophy Roberts writes so beautifully, even her author’s note — describing her train journey from Moscow to the Urals — hooks you in from the start.” — The Times
“A masterful example of modern historical travel writing.” — The Independent
“Beautifully constructed, clear-eyed and generous-spirited.” — William Atkins, The Immeasurable World
“An extraordinary book which will overturn the common perception of Siberia as a place only of exile.” — The Bookseller
“Richly asborbing … The Lost Pianos of Siberia is as much elegy as detective story.” — The Guardian
“Absolutely intoxicating. Such vivid detail, rich atmosphere, heartbreak, and elegance.” — Jonathan C. Slaght, Owls of the Eastern Ice
“From Pushkin to ‘Pianopolis’, this history hits the right notes… With a lover’s passion for a subject and territory that she has made hers.” — The Telegraph
“Roberts’s writing is beguiling… The resulting book is as wide-ranging as Siberia is vast.” — i (newspaper)
“The poetic idea of finding exquisite old pianos in an otherwise elemental wilderness is only one of many fascinating strands.” — Sydney Morning Herald
“An adventurous, moving and revealing exploration of landscape and often dark history — but above all, of humanity, music and memories.” — Geographical
“This book is a triumph, every chapter an adventure and a revelation.” — The Saturday Paper (Australia)
“One of those magical books that captures the imagination and draws you into the beauty and majesty of Siberia. A book to savour and remember.” — Helen Rappaport, The Last Days of the Romanovs
“An excellent debut book.” — New Zealand Listener
“Courage, patience, erudition and a sympathetic imagination … A travel book of rare quality.” — Dervla Murphy, Full Tilt
“The pianos are an excuse to travel to far-off places, indulge oneself in history, meet interesting people and tell stories, all of which Roberts does with abandon.” — Asian Review of Books
“Utterly absorbing. Roberts displays an empathy and understanding worthy of this deeply haunted, strangely fascinating land.” — Benedict Allen
“Roberts’s research, storytelling and descriptions of the landscape will leave you spellbound. And the quiet but beautiful fortitude of Siberia lingers long after the final page.” — The Irish News
“A modern-day Freya Stark” — Tatler
“A thrilling adventure to the ends of the earth … Pack your suitcase for Siberia. Sophy Roberts’ gorgeous prose will summon you there like a spell.” — Cal Flynn, Thicker Than Water
“An original new voice in travel writing… Her closing pages are as moving an expression of the power of emotional absorption into Russian stories as I remember in a long time.” — The Arts Desk
“You don’t need to love Siberia or pianos to enjoy this book. Brilliance illuminates each page.” — The Press Association
“A history of the place and its people that would otherwise be forgotten.” — Travel & Leisure, Southeast Asia
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