Sophia Bennett

Sophia Bennett is an award-winning children’s novelist. Her first book, Threads (Chicken House, 2009) won the Times/Chicken House children’s fiction competition. It was followed by two further books in the series and was published around the world. The Look (Chicken House, 2012) was another international success, looking at the worlds of modelling and childhood illness. Since then, Sophia has focused on writing books with a feminist slant for creative young people with a social conscience. Her latest Young Adult novel, Following Ophelia (Stripes, 2017), the first in a historical series, explores the art world of the Pre-Raphaelites and life above and below stairs in Victorian London.

Since 2015, Sophia has been a visiting lecturer at both City Lit and City University, focusing on teaching writing for children. She mentors an adult writers group and tutors students of all ages. Sophia is committed to building the confidence of the budding writers she works with, giving them practical tools and support to achieve their full potential. She regularly visits schools and festivals to inspire young readers and writers, and is patron of a local Readers Cup.

Sophia studied modern languages at the University of London and has a PhD in Italian literature, specialising in the work of Italo Svevo, from the University of Cambridge. She had a long career in lobbying and management consultancy before becoming a published author. Sophia now lives in South London with her family, where she writes and teaches full time.