Sophie Benini is an established and celebrated author and illustrator of Children books. Her books have been published and translated worldwide in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Israel, Switzerland, India, China and South Korea. Her Rome studio, full of found objects she collects, ressembles a natural history treasure box. There, suspended in between two worlds, the artist takes us on a poetic journey into her inner sanctum, defying time and space. Using silk threads, organza and pearls, Benini's magical hands create narrative embroideries that transmit stories of a nature she reveres.  

Sophie Benini (b. 1965, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France;Lives and works in Rome, Italy)

Sophie Benini Pietromarchi is an established author and illustrator of children’s books. She was born in Paris and graduated in graphic design and literature at the University of Florence, Italy. Her stories and images have been published in Italy, Switzerland, India, Israel, China, Portugal, Spain & France. Sophie also conducts workshops throughout Europe, encouraging children to explore a wide range of storytelling and illustration techniques. 

She participated in international book festivals including:  The  International Book Festival (Edimburgh), Fiera del libro (Madrid), Europalia Festival, Eurokidsfestival (Washington D. C.), Jumpsttart Festival (India); and in various venues such as Lycée Chateaubriand (Rome), The Art and Technology Academy Public Charter School (Washington D. C.), and public libraries like the Mediathèque de l’Institut Français de Rome (Rome), Library of Congress (Washington D. C.), and museums Maxxi, Macro (Rome), Sackler and Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian (Washington D. C.).

Some of her work as illustrator include collaborations with best-selling authors Azar Nafisi, author of "Reading Lolita in Teheran" and Frank McCourt author of "Angela’s Ashes", with the italian publisher Adelphi. In India, she has published books with the multi-award winning publisher Tara Books (India). The Mexican Department of Education in Mexico selected the Spanish edition of "The Book Book" to be part of their national primary school curriculum for school libraries. Sophie’s books have been published in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Israel, Switzerland, India, China and South Korea. In August 2014, the book office of the "Institut Français" in India (with the Embassy of France in India) invited Sophie, “as one of the finest author and illustrator of children’s books”, to participate at the "Jumpstart Festival" to be held in New Delhi (25th and 26th of August) and Bangalore ( 28th of August). 

In her book,  "La legión perdida", (Thule) 2015, she created 19 micro mosaics paper illustrations. In 2016,  she created and conducted a workshop at the Mast Bologna Passage in India by composing a photographic image without camera using a assemblage technique. In 2017, she created and conducted workshops on persian miniature at the Sackler and Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D. C. where created a double page manuscript "Adventures" and "Heroes and Villains"  from the Persian Book of Kings.

Her narrative embroideries were exhibited in shows in Milan at  Lisa Corti Emporium  (M’innamoro) and in Rome at Galleria AOC Bruno Lisi, (Il libro non finisce qui ;  Libri friabili) and in Florence at Museo La Specola. 

She lives in Rome with her photographer husband and their two children.  Sophie's first book with Tara Books was The Book Book.