Sophie Stern

I’m a writer in Sydney.My debut novel, What Is Left For Us, will be published by Penguin in March 2026 (Aus & NZ). It's modern family drama about two sisters from Bondi, the secrets that tore them apart, and the crumbling clifftop house that forces them back together.If you like delayed gratification, supporting debut authors, and sending your future self a gift, you can PRE-ORDER NOW at your favourite bookshop or via the Penguin website.Here are some nice things people have said about What Is Left For Us:Warm, engrossing, beautifully written and so moving — like a Maeve Binchy set in Bondi.
JESSICA STANLEY, author of CONSIDER YOURSELF KISSEDIn a stunning exploration of love, loyalty, and family dysfunction, Stern challenges our understanding of unconditional bonds and reminds us that every story has at least two sides. A must-read for sisters.
NADINE J COHEN, author of EVERYONE AND EVERYTHINGWhat is Left For Us beautifully observes love in all its forms and with all its faults.
VICTORIA HANNAN, author of KOKOMO and MARSHMALLOWA heartfelt and accomplished work. What Is Left For Us is a beautifully rendered portrait of sisterhood with a riveting mystery at its core.
AMY TAYLOR, author of RUINS and SEARCH HISTORY

I’m represented by Cathryn Summerhayes and Annabel White at Curtis Brown UK, and Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown Australia.

If you’re a debut author publishing in Australia in 2026, please reach out to join the Debut Crew 2026, a warm and welcoming community of writers.

I'm a writer in Sydney, where I live with my husband and son. My debut novel, What Is Left For Us, will be published in Australia and New Zealand by Penguin in March 2026.I’m represented by Cathryn Summerhayes and Annabel White at Curtis Brown UK, and Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown Australia.The manuscript of my first novel was shortlisted for the Penguin Literary Prize in 2024. My short fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and published in Yen Magazine and Ellipsis Zine. I completed residencies with Varuna, The National Writers' House, in 2023 and 2024.

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What Is Left For Us

Meet Rebecca and Hannah: inseparable sisters, until a betrayal tears their relationship apart and spins their lives in different directions.Rebecca thinks the past is behind her.She has spent the last ten years working as a lawyer at an insurance firm in London, but she’s unfulfilled in her job, and her boyfriend, the one she didn’t even care about, has just dumped her. And then comes an email from Hannah, the sister she hasn’t spoken to in a decade.On the surface, Hannah has it all.A perfect house, a high-flying husband, an adorable daughter. But the facade is crumbling. Forced to reunite with Rebecca when they jointly inherit their grandmother’s clifftop house in Bondi, Hannah is reminded of the life she gave up all those years ago.Over two weeks, everything the sisters think they know about each other changes forever.With fierce and complicated family dynamics and a suspenseful edge, What Is Left For Us will have you switching and dividing allegiances until the last page.

Praise for What Is Left For UsIn a stunning exploration of love, loyalty, and family dysfunction, Stern challenges our understanding of unconditional bonds and reminds us that every story has at least two sides. A must-read for sisters.
NADINE J COHEN, author of EVERYONE AND EVERYTHINGWarm, engrossing, beautifully written and so moving — like a Maeve Binchy set in Bondi.
JESSICA STANLEY, author of CONSIDER YOURSELF KISSEDWhat is Left For Us beautifully observes love in all its forms and with all its faults.
VICTORIA HANNAN, author of MARSHMALLOW and KOKOMOA heartfelt and accomplished work. What Is Left For Us is a beautifully rendered portrait of sisterhood with a riveting mystery at its core.
AMY TAYLOR, author of RUINS and SEARCH HISTORY

Booking links and more events will be available soon! If you would like to arrange an event with me (I'd love to attend your book club!), please get in touch via the Contact page.

Please use the form to contact me directly.For enquiries about What Is Left For Us, please contact Cathryn Summerhayes and Annabel White at Curtis Brown UK, or Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown Australia.You can find me on Instagram at @sophie.e.stern.