Astrid Sonne is a Danish composer and viola player, currently based in London.
I had quite a few favorite albums this year, so I was thinking I would pick something else instead. I’ve been in the process of reading The Diary of Anaïs Nin, and it’s really been a crazy experience. The diary is from 1934 to ‘39, and there are so many parallels between what we’re going through now and what was going on back then. There are so many things that rhyme with the times that we’re living in now, and I’ve had so many aha experiences reading it.
I got the book from my friend Emma [Barnaby], who plays the cello with me when we play live. She gave it to me for my 30th birthday, and I just started reading it now as touring has been winding down a bit. I’ve never read any of Anaïs Nin’s stuff before — she’s one of those names that’s always sort of in the periphery, and you know that that name means something special, but then actually finally getting involved with it has been really good. Her language is incredible, the way that she describes things is very tactile. And there are some interesting Europe-America links as well, the way that she describes America coming from a European standpoint. She lived in New York for a long time, and I think she spent the last part of her life in LA, so it’s really interesting.
I just can’t recommend it enough. I think my partner is really bored of me because I can’t stop talking about it. [Laughs.] It’s been a big eye-opener for me. I just started writing new material again, and reading this book has really inspired my text-writing. I love the way that she is just observing everything around her. I’m trying to bring some of that energy into my everyday life, to take in more stuff. I’ve been going through a period where I’ve had to shut down a little bit, but now I feel really open, and I think reading this book helped me get into that more open space. And that’s just really nice.
As told to Annie Fell.
Astrid Sonne’s Great Doubt is out now on Escho.
