Sophie Hardcastle

Below Deck is the breakout novel by Australia’s newest literary sensation, Sophie Hardcastle. A heart-wrenching, poetic story about the vagaries of consent and the question of who has the space to speak, Below Deck charts several years in the life of a young woman who wakes up on a boat with no recollection of how she got there.

Georgie Dent meets Sophie to discuss the novel hailed as a “tender, hopeful battle-cry” (Brooke Davis) by “a phenomenal, courageous talent” (Clementine Ford).

This recording is available on all major podcast platforms.

Sophie Hardcastle (Australian)

Sophie Hardcastle is an author, artist, screenwriter and scholar. In 2018, she was one of the first two Australians to work as a Provost's Scholar at the University of Oxford. She is the author of Below Deck, Breathing Under Water and Running Like China. Sophie is the co-creator, co-writer and co-director of the Australian online series, Cloudy River. Australian born, she now lives in Oxford, England.

Georgie Dent (Australian)

Georgie Dent is a journalist, editor, former lawyer and prominent advocate for women’s empowerment, gender equality and mental health. She is the contributing editor of Women’s Agenda, a contributor at Marie Claire and a columnist in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Her best-selling memoir is Breaking Badly. Annabel Crabb described it as "funny, shocking, beautifully written." Georgie is a regular television commentator on The Drum and ABC Weekend Breakfast and has made appearances on Lateline, Weekend Sunrise, Channel 9’s Today Show, The Project, and Studio 10.