My current project is a trilogy. The first book, Music Against the Night, will be published in October 2026. The trilogy follows two musicians from the early 19th century: the Irish pianist and composer John Field, and his wife, Adelaide Field. John was born in Ireland, and Adelaide was born in Pondicherry, French India, but they both lived their adult lives and died in Russia. The project is about history—history of music and musical instruments as well as political history between 1780 and 1840, and the trilogy spans several continents. Europe, inevitably, is an important part of the trilogy (the dream of Irish independence in 1782, the French Revolution, Napoleon’s rise and fall, musicians from Haydn to Beethoven to Chopin). The prospect of immersing myself in a period of living in Europe is a major attraction of the Rome Prize. The first piano was invented in Italy, and many Italian musicians are featured in my books, so I am particularly interested in experiencing Rome and Italy through music. 

The photograph of Yiyun Li was taken by Denise J. Applewhite-Princeton University.