Sophie Masson
Born in Indonesia of French parents, and brought up in France and Australia, Sophie Masson is the award-winning and internationally-published author of over 60 books for children, young adults and adults. Her latest books (all 2019) include a historical novel for older readers, War and Resistance (Scholastic Australia), as well as three picture books, There’s a Tiger Out There (illustrated by Ruth Waters, Little Hare); On my Way (illustrated by Simon Howe, Scholastic Australia) and Join the Armidale Parade (illustrated by Kathy Creamer, Little Pink Dog Books). A former Chair of the Australian Society of Authors and current Chair of the New England Writers’ Centre, Sophie is a recent (2019) PhD graduate in creative practice from the University of New England, and a founding partner and publishing director of acclaimed children’s books publisher Christmas Press.
Sophie has received several awards for her creative work, including winning the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the Young Adult category in the Aurealis Awards, and numerous Notable Books citations in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards. Her books have also been shortlisted for several other awards. She has been the recipient of a Keesing Studio Fellowship and an Asia-Pacific Fellowship (both Australia Council awards) and in 2017 was a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Research into Children’s Literature at the University of Cambridge (UK).
In 2019, Sophie received an AM (Member, General Division) award in the Order of Australia, with her citation reading ‘For significant service to literature as an author, publisher, and through service to literary organisations’.
NEW ISOLATION INITIATIVES:
To help support children, families, teachers and librarians, as well as fellow authors and illustrators, in this difficult time Sophie has generously provided the following:
- Free online creative writing exercises, for children and adults at: sophiemassonpresents.com
-
Guest post spots on her blog, Feathers of the Firebird (for other authors and illustrators whose books have just come out or coming out in next three months or so) at: firebirdfeathers.com
-
From Christmas Press - the full digital audio book of Two Trickster Tales from Russia
- Free Audio Talks on writing and publishing at: Talks on Writing and Publishing
Author Talks
Sophie presents a variety of lively and fascinating author talks for a variety of ages, angled around a variety of themes which explore an author’s life, and the writing process. These include, but are not limited to:
- What’s it really like being an author?
- The author’s journey: from childhood scribbler to published writer.
- Where do you get your ideas from?
- From non-English speaking child to established author: how being bilingual and brought up in two worlds influenced my writing
- The journey of a book: from lightbulb idea to the bookshop.
- Writing for children: is it different to writing for adults?
- Ideas that work, and ideas that don’t: and how you can distinguish between them!
Publishing Talks and Workshops
Sophie has presented many talks and papers at festivals, conferences and individual events on matters to do with publishing. These have ranged across many subjects:
- How does an author maintain a career in a changing publishing industry?
- A new golden age of small-press publishing
- Authors who are also publishers
- The changing roles and relationships of creators(authors and illustrators) and publishers
- Promotion and marketing for authors
- The lived experience of book contracts
- Starting a small press: the do’s and don’t’s
- Publishing in a regional area
Writing Workshops for Adults
Sophie’s writing workshops for adults range across many subjects, and have been given across the country to a wide range of participants in writers’ centres and libraries. Here are a few possibilities to choose from(workshops can also be tailored according to your needs).
- Writing for middle grade readers
- Writing for young adults
- Fantasy shorts(writing fantasy short stories)
- How to create and maintain suspense
- Story seeds/story feathers: a unique way of getting inspired!
- Writing historical fiction
- Character is plot: how to create fantastic characters who will drive your plot
- Writing picture book texts
- Writing poetry for kids
- Using dreams to craft great fiction
Writing Workshops for Children and Young Adults
Over the years Sophie has given a range of excellent writing workshops for children and young adults across Australia, in primary and high schools as well as libraries. Following are some possibilities, but workshops can also be tailored to meet your needs as well as those of the curriculum.
Poetry:
Music, Metaphor, Drama: A fun and versatile workshop, based around the creation of simple performance poetry. Suitable for both primary and high school age students.
Poem Artworks:
Create your own poetic artwork! Based around the beautiful poetry anthology, A Boat of Stars (in which Sophie has seven poems) this very popular workshop engages students in a discussion of poetry, then a creation of their own poem, and finally the transformation of the poem into an artwork with illustration and decoration. Suitable especially for primary age students, but also lower secondary.
Fiction:
Story seeds and story feathers: a unique and fun way to understand the story-creation process, and create your own stories! Suitable for both primary and high school.
Create your own picture book: Learn how to write a picture book text, and illustrate it yourself. Suitable for both primary and high school.
Writing mystery and crime stories: What makes a great crime/mystery story? Discussion and workshop on creating your own. Suitable for upper primary and secondary, including upper secondary.
Spooky! How to create a great ghost story. Suitable for both primary and secondary.
Fantasy worlds: create your own fantasy world, with maps, characters and the beginnings of a story. Especially suitable for middle-upper primary.
Writing great short stories: character, plot, setting. Especially suitable for secondary students, including Extension English students.
Presentations for Teachers and Librarians
Sophie has presented many talks and workshops specifically designed for teachers and librarians, below is a list of some possibilities. All are suitable, with tweaks, for both primary and high school teachers and librarians.
Writing Poetry with Children:
Two fun ways to encourage a love of poetry, and poetry writing, for children. These include a workshop focussing on ways of helping children create simple and versatile performance poetry, and one on ‘Poem Artworks’ (see workshops for children), creating your own art around your own original poem. Tips and advice on the enjoyment and writing of poetry too. Has been presented to speech and drama teachers, as well as English teachers, primary school teachers, and librarians.
Young adult fiction:
How does it work? How can you get readers engaged?
The journey of a book:
From idea to bookshop
Picture books:
What makes them different from other forms of literature?
Comics and graphic novels:
An overview and appreciation, through a look at international graphic cultures: France, Japan, the US.
An author’s life:
What’s it really like?
Story seeds/story feathers:
A unique way to encourage the writing of stories by students(see ‘workshops for children’)
Fantasy vs realism:
Is it really a battleground?
Afterlife fiction for young adults:
What is it? What makes it special?
Conference and Festival Presentations
Sophie is an experienced festival and conference presenter and has appeared at such events around the country, and around the world, including the UK, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.
Conference experience:
Sophie has presented papers on literary and publishing matters at major conferences around the country and the world. Several of these papers have later been published in journals. She has just completed a successful PhD at the University of New England, with her thesis consisting of an exegesis on young adult afterlife fiction, and an original novel, The Ghost Squad.
Festival experience:
Sophie has presented talks and been on panel sessions at major festivals including the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Melbourne Writers’ Festival, Byron Bay Writers’ Festival, Brisbane Writers’ Festival, Bellingen Readers’ and Writers’ Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival(UK) and many others. She has presented both to school and general audiences during these festivals.
Testimonials
Sophie was brilliant, informative, tailored to meet what the kids were doing, exploring in class. The writers workshop was also great, kids got a lot out of it and are enthusiastic to write and have their work shared with others. Really enjoyable.
Merici College - September 2021
Once Upon an ABC
Jack of Spades
Two Rainbows
Hunter's Moon
Building Site Zoo
The Adaptable Author
The Hoax
The Hunt for Ned Kelly
Snow Fire Sword
The Madman of Venice
Ned Kelly's Secret
Two Trickster Tales
Forest of Dreams
Scarlet in the Snow
The Crystal Heart
1914
Emilio
Black Wings
See Monkey
War and Resistance
Trinity - Koldun Code
New South Wales
Speaker type
- Author
- Virtual visits