Sophia Bennett - Author
Sophia Bennett’s debut novel, Threads, won The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition in 2009. She has since published six further teen novels, including The Look and Love Song. Sophia has been called “the queen of teen dreams” by journalist Amanda Craig, for her exploration of the worlds of fashion, art and music. Her books have sold internationally to over 16 countries. Sophia lives with her family in Wandsworth, south west London
Watch an interview with Sophia in this video:
In the gossip-fuelled world of Victorian London, Persephone Lavelle is the name on everyone's lips. As Mary's secret identity is exposed and rumours fly, she flees the scandal by escaping to Venice. Lost among the twisting alleyways and shadowy canals she encounters a mysterious, masked young man. He offers her the world, but at what price?
March 2017 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: beautiful young maid catches the eye of the Pre-Raphaelites | Mary leads a Cinderella life: by day she’s blacking grates as the most junior servant in her household, but in secret she’s also sitting for a handsome, talented young artist; with her flame-red hair, so loved by the Pre-Raphaelites, Mary is his muse. In a story filled with glamour and excitement, Bennett paints her own portrait of 1850s London, its fusty interiors and filthy streets, describing Victorian clothes – her own passion - in particularly wonderful detail. It’s certainly not all glamour for Mary and Bennett shows readers how hard it was for poor young women, no matter how beautiful, to control their lives, and how easy it was for them to fall into poverty. It makes for heady, absorbing reading; fans will want to know what happens to Mary next, and may well be inspired to seek out Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and Millais’s Ophelia in particular. For more painterly romance with a vivid historical setting see Wings over Delft by Aubrey Flegg. ~ Andrea Reece Sophia says: “Since my teens I’ve been in love with fine art, and the creative geniuses who broke the rules to change the way we see the world. No one broke the rules quite like the Pre-Raphaelites, or portrayed their muses with such obsession and intensity. Persephone Lavelle wants to be one of the ‘stunners’ to take Victorian society by storm. My heroines are never mere muses, so Persephone has a lot of adventures in store and the personality to match.”
Romantic Novelists' Association's Goldsboro Books Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2017 | April 2016 Book of the Month Though she transports her readers into glamourous worlds Sophia Bennett fills her stories with warm, believable characters and always keeps the emphasis on the important things - family, friends, love. A chance event at a backstage meet and greet with a top boy band sees Nina whisked from Croydon to join their entourage as PA to the lead singer’s Hollywood girlfriend. The pop star lifestyle is scintillating reading but the band’s soap opera of breakdown, break up and heartache really holds our attention. When the setting moves from luxury hotels to a crumbling stately home in the middle of nowhere – the manager’s last desperate attempt to get the boys to write a new album – things get really romantic, because there it’s all about music – what it does to us, why it matters. Perfect wish-fulfilment writing, with real heart. Holly Smale’s Geek Girl books also take a serious look at real emotions beneath a glitzy surface and readers will also enjoy Zoella’s Girl Online series. ~ Andrea Reece
The story of two sisters whose world falls apart just as for one of them fame is there for the taking. It will make you laugh and cry by turns and it's not to be missed. A Piece of Passion from Barry Cunningham, Publisher: I have sisters. one sadly died, the other was my idea of a catwalk queen:sixties mini skirts, Mary Quant make-up and Biba accessories. I watched them live lives similar to the girls in this story of what looks good, how people judge looks, buy and sell looks and what really matters in the end. The Look is brilliant, funny and moving, and I'll admit I did cry out loud in the end. I think this is Sophia Bennett's best book yet; take a look, I'm sure you'll agree! Click here to read a letter from Sophia Bennett about why she wrote The Look.
A bittersweet story of friendship and loyalty as two talented teens try to cope with the pressures of fame. It's a beautifully written, thought-provoking tale which deals honestly with the modern pressures of cyberbullying and social networking. What happens if you betray your best friend, on TV in front of millions? The whole world lines up to judge you. When singers Sashaand Rose reach the finals of Killer Act and are told that one of them must go - they make a decision that will change their lives... A Piece of Passion from the Publisher, Barry Cunningham Grrrr … don’t you want to shake some TV talent show judges? But just when you think these competitions are all about wicked manipulation, real-life moments of humility and magic break through. Sophia Bennett’s new novel brilliantly shows both sides of the music game, and the perils of online fame and blame. My own ability to mime to pop songs is apparently not enough to qualify!
August 2014 Book of the Month In a fast-paced and richly imagined adventure Peta Jones risks her life when she recklessly embarks on a deadly dangerous adventure following a clue that might reveal that he father is still alive. Stowing away in a trunk she is transported to a fancy palace on a beautiful and remote island where she uncovers cruelty of an unimaginable kind. And no sign of her father. Peta’s only chance of survival lies in the hands of Amina and Karim, two children slaving for the family, who also help her in her search. Will Peta ever find her father and will she and Amina and Karim – ever escape?
A bittersweet story of friendship and loyalty as two talented teens try to cope with the pressures of fame. It's a beautifully written, thought-provoking tale which deals honestly with the modern pressures of cyberbullying and social networking. What happens if you betray your best friend, on TV in front of millions? The whole world lines up to judge you. When singers Sashaand Rose reach the finals of Killer Act and are told that one of them must go - they make a decision that will change their lives... A Piece of Passion from the Publisher, Barry Cunningham Grrrr … don’t you want to shake some TV talent show judges? But just when you think these competitions are all about wicked manipulation, real-life moments of humility and magic break through. Sophia Bennett’s new novel brilliantly shows both sides of the music game, and the perils of online fame and blame. My own ability to mime to pop songs is apparently not enough to qualify!
March 2012 Book of the Month. We suspect this may well be Sophia Bennett's break-out novel. Her previous ones have done immensely well but this novel for teenagers is blisteringly good. It's the story of two sisters whose world falls apart just as for one of them fame is there for the taking. It will make you laugh and cry by turns and it's not to be missed. And a message from Barry Cunningham, Sophia Bennett's Publisher: I have sisters. one sadly died, the other was my idea of a catwalk queen:sixties mini skirts, Mary Quant make-up and Biba accessories. I watched them live lives similar to the girls in this story of what looks good, how people judge looks, buy and sell looks and what really matters in the end. The Look is brilliant, funny and moving, and I'll admit I did cry out loud in the end. I think this is Sophia Bennett's best book yet; take a look, I'm sure you'll agree! Click here to read a letter from Sophia Bennett about why she wrote The Look. You can also find out more about the Threads series by clicking here for the books and here for the series website.
Breaking News ! The Threads series is to be developed for TV by Lime Pictures, makers of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks. Tony Wood, Lime Creative Director, said: "Threads is made for popular TV. Great characters, with wonderfully colourful and fashionable British backgrounds, that will appeal throughout the world. But, just as importantly, it shows passion and compassion, in the way it's teenagers themselves who support fiercely held convictions too, and of course who win through for each other. I can't wait to get started.' The third volume in the deliciously glamorous but also realistic Threads series sees the four friends on the brink of achieving the remarkable goals they have set for themselves. Nonie, Jenny, Crow and Edie have quite different ambitions but suddenly, maybe because the goals are within their grasp, all four are terrified by the challenges that lie ahead. The girls remain great role models for anyone with a strong ambition. Click here for the rest of the books in the series, or here for the Threads website. 14+ readers who liked Threads will also love Sophia Bennett's new book, The Look.
From the author of the prize-winning Threads, this is a gloriously entertaining and snappy read for anyone who has even a thread of interest in any aspect of fashion. Crow, Nonie and Edie are back for a second adventure with things working out well in some ways both with their work and with boys but there is also trouble looming over their high street collection. Helped by their friends, the three girls are kept busy just trying to keep everything they’ve worked for under control. Breaking News ! The Threads series is to be developed for TV by Lime Pictures, makers of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks. Tony Wood, Lime Creative Director, said: "Threads is made for popular TV. Great characters, with wonderfully colourful and fashionable British backgrounds, that will appeal throughout the world. But, just as importantly, it shows passion and compassion, in the way it's teenagers themselves who support fiercely held convictions too, and of course who win through for each other. I can't wait to get started.'
Winner of the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2009. Fresh, witty and wholly contemporary, prize winning Threads won The Times/Chicken House writing competition. How three teenage friends with completely different interests – one’s into fashion, one plans to save the world and one is a budding young starlet – use their interest and talents to help a young refugee girl is a warm-hearted and hugely entertaining story. Without preaching, it’s an up to date story about helping others. Click here for more details of the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2013, which opens for entries in late March 2012. Breaking News ! The Threads series is to be developed for TV by Lime Pictures, makers of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks. Tony Wood, Lime Creative Director, said: "Threads is made for popular TV. Great characters, with wonderfully colourful and fashionable British backgrounds, that will appeal throughout the world. But, just as importantly, it shows passion and compassion, in the way it's teenagers themselves who support fiercely held convictions too, and of course who win through for each other. I can't wait to get started.' Lovereading comment: A wonderfully vibrant, funny, totally absorbing and thought-provoking debut novel for fashion-conscious girls. Three girls, all best friends: one a budding actress, one with a passion for fashion and the other a humanitarian who wants to save the world. Together, when they meet a young African refugee girl, they get the chance to pool their talents and do something truly wonderful. Dealing with modern friendships and contemporary world issues in an honest and truly inspirational way the reader cannot fail to be moved. Threads was the winner of the second Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition. The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition has been searching for the most talented, undiscovered writers of children’s fiction since 2008. Leading top authors such as Julia Donaldson and Michelle Paver have judged the competition alongside Chicken House publisher, Barry Cunningham. The first winner was Emily Diamand in 2008 with her novel, Flood Child. Muncle Trogg won in 2010 and the winner of the 2011 competition, Kieran Larwood’s Freaks, will be released this April. Watch this space… From the publisher of Threads, Barry Cunningham: I still love dressing up. Funny old clothes, smart new ones and that old hat from a junk shop in Ireland that I adore. But in Sophia Bennett’s prize-winning book, fashion is not only about feeling good – it’s art, it’s freedom, it means doing something that changes lives in all kinds of ways. Threads is brilliant, funny, heart-warming and creative. Like my old hat.
This book will introduce young readers to the lives and work of the world's most renowned and inspirational artists. As well as biographical information, this book will look at the creative practices of these women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations. With foreword by Tate's first female director, Maria Balshaw, the book will contain over thirty biographies of women artists, investigating their creative practices and exploring their contribution to art. In addition, it will also feature original interviews with living artists including Rachel Whiteread, Paula Rego, Lorna Simpson and Yayoi Kusama, inspiring budding artists to have the confidence to follow their dreams as well as offering advice to all readers on how to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
In the gossip-fuelled world of Victorian London, Persephone Lavelle is the name on everyone's lips. As Mary's secret identity is exposed and rumours fly, she flees the scandal by escaping to Venice. Lost among the twisting alleyways and shadowy canals she encounters a mysterious, masked young man. He offers her the world, but at what price?
March 2017 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: beautiful young maid catches the eye of the Pre-Raphaelites | Mary leads a Cinderella life: by day she’s blacking grates as the most junior servant in her household, but in secret she’s also sitting for a handsome, talented young artist; with her flame-red hair, so loved by the Pre-Raphaelites, Mary is his muse. In a story filled with glamour and excitement, Bennett paints her own portrait of 1850s London, its fusty interiors and filthy streets, describing Victorian clothes – her own passion - in particularly wonderful detail. It’s certainly not all glamour for Mary and Bennett shows readers how hard it was for poor young women, no matter how beautiful, to control their lives, and how easy it was for them to fall into poverty. It makes for heady, absorbing reading; fans will want to know what happens to Mary next, and may well be inspired to seek out Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and Millais’s Ophelia in particular. For more painterly romance with a vivid historical setting see Wings over Delft by Aubrey Flegg. ~ Andrea Reece Sophia says: “Since my teens I’ve been in love with fine art, and the creative geniuses who broke the rules to change the way we see the world. No one broke the rules quite like the Pre-Raphaelites, or portrayed their muses with such obsession and intensity. Persephone Lavelle wants to be one of the ‘stunners’ to take Victorian society by storm. My heroines are never mere muses, so Persephone has a lot of adventures in store and the personality to match.”
Romantic Novelists' Association's Goldsboro Books Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2017 | April 2016 Book of the Month Though she transports her readers into glamourous worlds Sophia Bennett fills her stories with warm, believable characters and always keeps the emphasis on the important things - family, friends, love. A chance event at a backstage meet and greet with a top boy band sees Nina whisked from Croydon to join their entourage as PA to the lead singer’s Hollywood girlfriend. The pop star lifestyle is scintillating reading but the band’s soap opera of breakdown, break up and heartache really holds our attention. When the setting moves from luxury hotels to a crumbling stately home in the middle of nowhere – the manager’s last desperate attempt to get the boys to write a new album – things get really romantic, because there it’s all about music – what it does to us, why it matters. Perfect wish-fulfilment writing, with real heart. Holly Smale’s Geek Girl books also take a serious look at real emotions beneath a glitzy surface and readers will also enjoy Zoella’s Girl Online series. ~ Andrea Reece
August 2014 Book of the Month In a fast-paced and richly imagined adventure Peta Jones risks her life when she recklessly embarks on a deadly dangerous adventure following a clue that might reveal that he father is still alive. Stowing away in a trunk she is transported to a fancy palace on a beautiful and remote island where she uncovers cruelty of an unimaginable kind. And no sign of her father. Peta’s only chance of survival lies in the hands of Amina and Karim, two children slaving for the family, who also help her in her search. Will Peta ever find her father and will she and Amina and Karim – ever escape?
Breaking News ! The Threads series is to be developed for TV by Lime Pictures, makers of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks. Tony Wood, Lime Creative Director, said: "Threads is made for popular TV. Great characters, with wonderfully colourful and fashionable British backgrounds, that will appeal throughout the world. But, just as importantly, it shows passion and compassion, in the way it's teenagers themselves who support fiercely held convictions too, and of course who win through for each other. I can't wait to get started.' The third volume in the deliciously glamorous but also realistic Threads series sees the four friends on the brink of achieving the remarkable goals they have set for themselves. Nonie, Jenny, Crow and Edie have quite different ambitions but suddenly, maybe because the goals are within their grasp, all four are terrified by the challenges that lie ahead. The girls remain great role models for anyone with a strong ambition. Click here for the rest of the books in the series, or here for the Threads website. 14+ readers who liked Threads will also love Sophia Bennett's new book, The Look.
From the author of the prize-winning Threads, this is a gloriously entertaining and snappy read for anyone who has even a thread of interest in any aspect of fashion. Crow, Nonie and Edie are back for a second adventure with things working out well in some ways both with their work and with boys but there is also trouble looming over their high street collection. Helped by their friends, the three girls are kept busy just trying to keep everything they’ve worked for under control. Breaking News ! The Threads series is to be developed for TV by Lime Pictures, makers of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks. Tony Wood, Lime Creative Director, said: "Threads is made for popular TV. Great characters, with wonderfully colourful and fashionable British backgrounds, that will appeal throughout the world. But, just as importantly, it shows passion and compassion, in the way it's teenagers themselves who support fiercely held convictions too, and of course who win through for each other. I can't wait to get started.'
Winner of the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2009. Fresh, witty and wholly contemporary, prize winning Threads won The Times/Chicken House writing competition. How three teenage friends with completely different interests – one’s into fashion, one plans to save the world and one is a budding young starlet – use their interest and talents to help a young refugee girl is a warm-hearted and hugely entertaining story. Without preaching, it’s an up to date story about helping others. Click here for more details of the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2013, which opens for entries in late March 2012. Breaking News ! The Threads series is to be developed for TV by Lime Pictures, makers of Grange Hill and Hollyoaks. Tony Wood, Lime Creative Director, said: "Threads is made for popular TV. Great characters, with wonderfully colourful and fashionable British backgrounds, that will appeal throughout the world. But, just as importantly, it shows passion and compassion, in the way it's teenagers themselves who support fiercely held convictions too, and of course who win through for each other. I can't wait to get started.' Lovereading comment: A wonderfully vibrant, funny, totally absorbing and thought-provoking debut novel for fashion-conscious girls. Three girls, all best friends: one a budding actress, one with a passion for fashion and the other a humanitarian who wants to save the world. Together, when they meet a young African refugee girl, they get the chance to pool their talents and do something truly wonderful. Dealing with modern friendships and contemporary world issues in an honest and truly inspirational way the reader cannot fail to be moved. Threads was the winner of the second Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition. The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition has been searching for the most talented, undiscovered writers of children’s fiction since 2008. Leading top authors such as Julia Donaldson and Michelle Paver have judged the competition alongside Chicken House publisher, Barry Cunningham. The first winner was Emily Diamand in 2008 with her novel, Flood Child. Muncle Trogg won in 2010 and the winner of the 2011 competition, Kieran Larwood’s Freaks, will be released this April. Watch this space… From the publisher of Threads, Barry Cunningham: I still love dressing up. Funny old clothes, smart new ones and that old hat from a junk shop in Ireland that I adore. But in Sophia Bennett’s prize-winning book, fashion is not only about feeling good – it’s art, it’s freedom, it means doing something that changes lives in all kinds of ways. Threads is brilliant, funny, heart-warming and creative. Like my old hat.
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