Sophie Kinsella, author of Confessions of a Shopaholic and a series of million-dollar sequels, has died, along with her family. said on social networks.
In late 2022, Kinsella, whose real name was Madeleine Wickham, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. announced the diagnosis in April 2024. She said at the time that she delayed the announcement to allow her children to adjust to their new lives. Kinsella also revealed that she underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat the disease.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddie, aka Mommy) this morning. She died peacefully and her last days were filled with her true love: family, music, warmth, Christmas and joy,” Kinsella’s family wrote on Instagram. “We can’t imagine what life would be like without her radiance and love for life.”
Kinsella has published 10 Shopaholic novels, starting with “Confession of a shopaholicin 2000. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.
Her 2024 novella What's It Like? was a semi-fictional account of her cancer diagnosis, according to CBS News Partner BBC News. In the book's introduction, Kinsella said she has “always processed my life through writing.”
“Behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my life into a narrative. Perhaps this is my version of therapy,” Kinsella wrote, according to the BBC.
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Kinsella also published books, including her debut novel, under her real name. According to the BBC, she has written 28 books in total, including 10 Shopaholic novels, one young adult novel and four children's books. Her books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages.
“Despite the illness, which she endured with unimaginable courage, Sophie considered herself truly lucky to have such wonderful family and friends and to have achieved extraordinary success in her writing career,” her family wrote on social media. “She took nothing for granted and was always grateful for the love she received.”
Kinsella is survived by her husband Henry Wickham, whom she married in 1991, and five children.
In 2014 Kinsella told CBS Mornings. how reader feedback contributed to its writing.
“You sit alone in your room and knock and hope people like your book and then it goes away,” she said. “But then someone comes along who says, ‘Well, you know what? I read your book in the middle of the night while recovering from surgery and it helped me survive.” I mean, how can you do anything better in life than this?”
