Sophie Pender

Early life and education Pender grew up on a council estate in North London. She lost her father to substance abuse. Pender studied English at the University of Bristol, and was the first in her family to attend higher education.

During her time in the University of Bristol she became involved with efforts to improve social mobility, with the University of Bristol Students' Union The club became a national network of student societies, who worked with organisations to improve the employability of graduates educated in state schools.

In June 2026, Picador announced that it had won a 13-way auction on Pender's first book, 'What School Did You Go To?' The book is due to be published in 2028.

Awards and honours Pender was named as Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022, and won the Diana Award and was named a Woman to Watch by The Times in 2017.