Pre-order

Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923

Name: Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923
Brand: Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9780571380923
Price: 99.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

Behind the Mask

By Sergey Prokofiev

0.0 (0 reviews)

Brief Description

'I am sure that in time [Prokofiev's diaries] will come to be ranked among the great classic diaries of European literature. Truly impressive.' Alexander Waugh, Literary Review The second volume of Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923 covers the years 1915 to 1922. It describes in detail the... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$99⁹⁹

Pre-order

Releases 1^st December 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order "Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923

$99⁹⁹

FICTION 1 Oct 2026

The Book Hero Team's September Reads

September was an especially busy month for the Book Hero team as we did the...

Come Celebrate New Zealand Bookshop Day with Us!

Next Saturday, New Zealand celebrates Bookshop Day - a day to celebrate the special place...

Rating All Our Julia Donaldson Picture Books

With Gruffalo Granny coming out recently I couldn't not do a post celebrating the collection...

FICTION 30 Sep 2026

New Releases to add to your TBR this week (29th September)

From celebrity memoirs to a brand new follow up to The Whale Rider, here is...

GIFTS 30 Sep 2026

New: Out of Print Book Merchandise has arrived!

We are so excited to share that we now have a selection in-stock of the...

Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923: Behind the Mask - this second volume sees a momentous epoch in European history, in Prokofiev's personal life story and in the development of his art.

Description

'I am sure that in time [Prokofiev's diaries] will come to be ranked among the great classic diaries of European literature. Truly impressive.' Alexander Waugh, Literary Review

The second volume of Sergey Prokofiev: Diaries 1915-1923 covers the years 1915 to 1922. It describes in detail the genesis and the problematic path to performance of major works in his canon, and the life-changing experiences of living in war-torn and revolutionary Russia. It also explores his decision to leave for the mythic America he had long dreamed of visiting.

The diaries chart the author's swings of fortune, the loneliness of the émigré, his encounters with a luminous range of personalities from music, theatre, art and literature, and his search for love and friendship. All of this is cast in the burnished prose of a born master, not just of music, but of words.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571380923

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 September 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Contributors:

Edited by Anthony Phillips

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 808

Collections

Arts & Culture Biography & Memoir Music & Musicians Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction Non-Fiction Pre-Orders Pre-order Biographies Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Sergey Prokofiev

About the Author

Anthony Phillips learnt Russian in the 'Secret Classrooms' of National Service in the 1950s and later at Oxford. The language continued to influence his later career, during which he became general manager of London's Royal Festival Hall. His previous books include Story of a Friendship, his translation of Shostakovich's letters to Isaak Glikman, and Anton Chekhov: A Life in Letters (with Rosamund Bartlett). His first volume of Prokofiev's diaries (2006) was described by the New Statesman as an 'extraordinary achievement'.

More from Biography & Memoir

View all

New Release

Swan Song

Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...

By Charles Spencer

Hardback

$54⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$65⁰⁰~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Fictional Selves

From the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City comes a candid and deeply personal memoir. In this highly anticipated memoir, the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Sex and the City and more shares his utterly original account of his offbeat journey in Hollywood, his battles with fear and...

By Kyle MacLachlan

Hardback

$47⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$60⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Steps

The long-awaited memoir from a true Hollywood icon. We know Sylvester Stallone as one of the most revered actors, writers, and directors of all time, yet his life story is every bit as dramatic, intense, and inspiring as his greatest creations on screen. Bringing together a no-holds-barred account of a fascinating life with messages of hope, positivity, and resilience, in...

By Sylvester Stallone

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Signed Copy
New Release

Shirl's Pick

Home Again

Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...

By Jon Toogood

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About

From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...

By Isabel Klee

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Lizzy's Pick

Famesick

Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...

By Lena Dunham

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$35⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
This Angry Pen of Mine

This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...

By Layne Staley

Hardback

$72⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$89⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Signed Copy

Shirl's Pick

Stakes

Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoir Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...

By Noelle McCarthy

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$40⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Built for This

Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...

By Brad Poulter

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Even the Good Girls Will Cry

Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...

By Melissa Auf der Maur

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
An Ocean and a Day

An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...

By Hannah Richell

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
A Place to Stand

A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...

By Clare Ward

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.