S. Rachmaninov : Prelude in Gb Major op 23 no 10 In advance of the publication of KHRUSHCHEV’S PIANO in November, Caroline has been learning some music by composers featured in the book. One central figure, Rachmaninov, received mixed reviews from the Soviet regime. He left his native Russia soon after the October Revolution of […]
People have been asking questions about Caroline’s forthcoming book, Khrushchev’s Piano! “How did you come up with the idea for a book centred on a piano?” Around a decade ago, I attended a piano auction in London. Surrounded by more than a hundred pianos – each with its own history, some spanning generations – I […]
Caroline’s second novel, Khrushchev’s PIano, will be published by The Book Guild in November. The book is a fictional re-imagining of the inaugural International Tchaikovsky competition held in 1958 in Soviet Moscow. In this version, the real-life winner American, Van Cliburn, is reinvented as a young British woman, Evie Mason. Diaries and newspaper reports from the […]
On 29th January, Caroline was in conversation with Adrian Peel of the Cambridge Independent at Heffers bookshop in Cambridge. There was a good turnout including many local musicians and music therapists, and some lively discussion.
Solo was officially launched on October 8th, in an event at London’s October Gallery. Caroline was in conversation with her writing tutor and mentor, novelist Shelley Weiner. The evening was made even more special by the wonderful music performed by members of the Cor8 horn ensemble. It was a night of lively conversation, music, and […]
What happens when a famous solo goes disastrously wrong in front of a huge audience? This is the premise of Solo, a new novel by author and musician Caroline Swinburne, which delves into the murky world of performance anxiety and the mental health struggles of classical musicians. In this guest blog post by the author, […]
Solo will be launched at an event in London’s October Gallery on October 8th. Caroline will be in discussion with novelist Shelley Weiner (www.shelleyweiner.com) and live music will be provided by the Cor8 female and non-binary horn ensemble (https://cor8horns.com/)
Author celebrates musicians’ mettle in new French horn novel Claire Jackson, Thursday, August 7, 2025 Girl meets horn: Solo is published by The Book Guild ‘You’ve heard of “girl meets boy”? This isn’t that. It’s “girl meets horn”,’ says the blurb to Solo, Caroline Swinburne’s new novel about a female French horn player. The book follows […]