Sonia Henry is in her early thirties and lives and works in Sydney as a doctor. When she’s not being a medic she devotes her spare time to writing and has been published in Kevin MD (America’s leading physician blog), SMH, The Australian Medical Students Journal, and has scientific publications in the ANZ Journal of Surgery.
Sonia’s most recent book is Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl (Allen & Unwin, 2023), a modern outback medical memoir full of heart, energy, rage and wonder. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to get lost in order to be found.
Sonia’s debut novel, Going Under, (Allen & Unwin, September 2019) is a darkly funny, sad and inspiring novel about the brutal world of medical training. The novel follows the story of Dr Kitty Holliday who, having finished medical school and found gainful employment at one of Sydney’s best teaching hospitals, thought that her dream was just beginning. But Kitty is in for a rude shock. In between trying to survive on the ward, in the operating theatre and in the emergency department without killing any of her patients or wanting to kill herself, Kitty finds herself facing situations that rock her very understanding of the vocation she has devoted her life to.
Sonia was also the anonymous author of the article ‘There is something rotten inside the medical profession’, which detailed the stress of medical training and was shared more than 22,000 times and re-published widely around the world.
In her spare time, Sonia loves drinking wine with her friends, eating good food, and trying to save money to travel to new and fabulous places. She is a keen skier in the winter and likes Sydney for its beaches in the summer. She tried to join a gym but isn’t a morning person so has replaced exercise with an extra hour of sleep.
Reviews for Going Under:
“From the first grim failed attempt to cannulate a vein, I knew Going Under was the real deal. I’m still having flashbacks to my own intern days because of it. Sonia Henry writes with a combination of heart and precision that only the best of writers, and doctors, can manage.” Nick Earls, bestselling author of Bachelor Kisses
“A compelling eye-opener written by one who clearly knows.” Judy Nunn, bestselling author of Sanctuary