Sophie grew up in York, where she went to the local schools while longing to attend Mallory Towers. She studied languages at Kings College London but dropped out and eventually got her degree at night school. She has lived in Barcelona, where she was a teenage au pair, Hong Kong, where she acted as an extra in low-budget Chinese soap operas, and Los Angeles, where she interviewed celebrities for British newspapers. Her journalism career began writing pop music reviews for the Guardian and she now writes for The Guardian, Observer, Sunday Times and Vogue. Sophie lives in Hackney, East London with her daughter and their dog, Chips. Her bestselling memoir, The Hungover Games, was published by Cape in 2020 and has been optioned for TV.
Timetable
3.30-5pm: Arrival of participants. We’ll welcome you, show you to your room and offer refreshments.
5pm: Tea in the garden – a chance to meet other course attendees and staff.
5.30-6pm: The group meets in the salon for an introductory talk from Murphy. Please make sure you arrive in time as it will include information about the week and a tour of the house and gardens.
7pm: Cocktails and Dinner under the stars or in the billiard room
8.30-9.30pm: The first writing workshop of the week. Sophie will introduce herself and outline her plans for the week. You will be able to explain what you’d like to achieve. There’ll be discussion, short exercises, and perhaps a spot of homework for Tuesday morning.
