How to Begin

A book about finding a creative voice and becoming an artist via a scintillating new discovery in Edmund de Waal’s family archives – letters between his grandmother and the great poet Rainer Maria Rilke ** With letters translated from the German by prizewinning translator, Karen Leeder ** Edmund de Waal's grandmother, Elisabeth Ephrussi, aspired to be a poet as a young woman. While studying for a law degree in 1920s Vienna, she entered into a short but dramatic correspondence with the great German-language poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, in which he mentored her writing - and gave her advice on how to balance the demands of creativity with the need for work. When, decades later, Edmund started to write himself, his grandmother read his poetry and in turn took on the role of mentor... This is an inspiring book about the challenges of setting out on a creative life as a young person, and the solaces that come from having a mentor and friend. And, ultimately, it is about the moment when an artist must leave their mentor behind and discover their own voice. © Edmund de Waal 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026