05 Sep 2026
issue 05 September 2026
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Sophie Pattison, 37, is not in a good place: heartbroken, childless, mid-divorce from ‘arsehole’ Paul, with her self-esteem and bank balance low. As her best friend Emma says: ‘You have a lot of love and nobody to take it out on.’
This is Meg Mason’s third work of fiction. Her Sorrow and Bliss (2020)propelled her on to the global literary stage. Sophie, Standing There opens as ‘sad girl fiction’ that satirises the contemporary literary festival. But then the book takes a turn and explores something more savage: parasocial relationships and the courage required in the Age of Instagram to be simple but happy.
