Sofie Laguna
Sofie Laguna is an author, actor, and playwright. Her many books for young people have been named Honour Books and Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and have been shortlisted in the Queensland Premier’s Awards. She has been published in the US and the UK and in translation in Europe and Asia.
Sofie’s first novel for adults, One Foot Wrong, published throughout Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom, was long-listed for the Miles Franklin Award 2009 and shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. Film rights have been optioned and Sofie has completed the screenplay.
In 2011 Sofie moved back to writing for young people with the highly popular and bestselling Our Australian Girl series, published by Penguin Books. She has also written the equivalent for boys – Do You Dare: Convict Gang.
Sofie’s new novel for adults, The Eye of the Sheep, has just been shortlisted for the 2015 Stella Prize, and won the 2015 Miles Franklin Award. It has been optioned for both film and theatre.
Sofie lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and their two young boys.
Life in, and connection to, Hobsons Bay
I lived there for two years from October 2011 to October 2013; it inspired the setting for my novel, 'The Eye of the Sheep'.
Works
Books for children
- My yellow blanky, illustrated by Tom Jellet (Omnibus Books 2002)
- Bill's best day, illustrated by Andrew McLean (Omnibus Books 2002)
- Too loud Lily, illustraed by Kerry Argent (Omnibus Books 2002)
- Bad Buster, illustrated by Leigh Hobbs (Penguin Books 2003)
- Surviving Aunt Marsha (Omnibus Books 2003)
- On our way to the beach, illustrated by Andrew McLean (Omnibus Books 2004)
- Big Ned's bushwalk, illustrated by David Cox (Lothian Books 2005)
- Bird and Sugar Boy (Penguin Books 2006)
- Stephen's music, illustrated by Anna Pignataro (Hachette 2007)
- Boris Monster, scared of nothing, illustrated by Ben Redlich (Scholastic Press, 2007)
- Meet Grace (Penguin Books, 2011)
- A friend for Grace (Penguin Books, 2011)
- Grace and Glory (Penguin Books, 2011)
- A home for Grace (Penguin Books, 2011)
- The forever house (Penguin Books, 2012)
- Where are you, Banana? (Allen and Unwin, 2013)
Books for adults
- One foot wrong (Allen and Unwin, 2008)
- Eye of the sheep (Allen and Unwin, 2014)
Awards
2021
INFINITE SPLENDOURS
- Winner of the 2021 Colin Roderick Literary Award and the H.T Priestley Medal
- Longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
- Longlisted for the 2021 Indie Award
- Longlisted for the 2021 ABIA Award
2018
THE CHOKE
- Winner of the 2018 Indie Award - Best Novel
- Shortlisted for the 2018 Victorian Premiere Literary Awards
- Shortlisted for the 2018 Australian Literary Gold Medal
- Shortlisted for the 2018 Australian Book Industry Award
- Shortlisted for the 2018 ABA Booksellers Choice Award
- Shortlisted for the 2018 Voss Award
- Longlisted for the 2018 Colin Roderick Literary Award
- Longlisted for 2018 The Dublin International Literary Award
- Longlisted for the 2018 Stella Award
- Longlisted for the 2018 Kibble Award
2016
THE EYE OF THE SHEEP
- Winner of the 2015 Miles Franklin Award
- Shortlisted for the Stella Award
- Longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Award
2014
WHERE ARE YOU BANANA
- A Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2014
- Selected as an Outstanding International Book by the Children’s Book Council of America
2011
OUR AUSTRALIAN GIRL: GRACE
- Shortlisted for the YABBA AWARDS
2008
ONE FOOT WRONG
- Short-listed for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award 2009
- Long-listed for the Miles Franklin Award
2007
STEPHEN’S MUSIC
- A Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2008
2006
BIRD AND SUGAR BOY
- Children’s Book Council of Australia Award, Book of the Year for Younger Readers: Honor Book 2007
- Shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award
2005
BIG NED’S BUSHWALK
- A Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2006
2004
ON OUR WAY TO THE BEACH
- Selected by the International Youth Library as a White Raven Book for 2005
ONLY UPWARDS
- A play
- Regional winner of the David TK Wong Award
2003
BAD BUSTER
- A Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2004
SURVIVING AUNT MARSHA
- Short listed for the Children’s Choice Book of the Year for Younger Readers 2003
2002
MY YELLOW BLANKY
- A Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2003
TOO LOUD LILY
- Children’s Book Council of Australia Award for Book of the Year for Early Readers
- Honor Book 2003
- Oppenheim Best Book Award USA for 2005
- Shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards 2003
- Shortlisted for the Children’s Choice Picture Book of the Year 2003