Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.

Episode Summary

Two riveting accounts from the Siege of Leningrad during WWII: In the first half, Simon Parkin discusses The Forbidden Garden, the incredible true story of Soviet botanists who protected the world’s first seed bank during the Nazi blockade—sacrificing their own lives to preserve biodiversity.

“They have this decision—do we eat the seeds, do we distribute them to the starving people, or do we deny our hunger and preserve the collection?” — Simon Parkin

Then, we revisit my 2015 conversation with M.T. Anderson about his award-winning biography Symphony for the City of the Dead, a dramatic account of Dmitri Shostakovich and how his Seventh Symphony became a beacon of resistance and hope for the starving city.

The Seventh Symphony gave Leningraders the story of a victory that might be possible.” — M.T. Anderson

Together, these stories explore moral courage under the most agonizing duress, where dedication to science and to art rallied the deepest reserves of human resilience.

Connect with WV:

Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 

You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!

Key Words: Siege of Leningrad, Dmitri Shostakovich Seventh Symphony, Simon Parkin The Forbidden Garden, M.T. Anderson Symphony for the City of the Dead, Leningrad seed bank WWII, Leningrad Symphony broadcast,

You Might Also Like: Sasha Vasilyuk, YOUR PRESENCE IS MANDATORY

Continue reading →