Sophie Kinsella, author of the millions-selling Shopaholic novels, dies at 55
Jill Lawless And Alicia Rancilio
London: Author Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent romantic comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic The work that sparked a million-selling TV series died Wednesday, his family said. He was 55 years old and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.
The family said in a statement on Kinsella’s Instagram account: “We are so sorry to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy). She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family, music, warmth, Christmas and joy.”
“We can’t imagine what life would be like without her radiance and love of life.”
Kinsella, who also broadcasts under her real name Madeleine Wickham, announced in April 2024 that she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, more than a year ago.
“I didn’t share this before because I wanted to make sure my kids could hear and process the news privately and adjust to our ‘new normal,'” she said at the time.
Starting in 2000 The Secret Dream World of a Shopaholictitled Confessions of a Shopaholic In the United States Kinsella released 10 shopaholic novels and other fiction. His books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages.
From journalism to fiction
Kinsella didn’t grow up thinking about being a writer. As one of three daughters of a teacher family in London, she played the piano and violin in her childhood and also composed music.
He told author-publisher Zibby Owens on her podcast: Mothers Don’t Have Time to Read BooksHe said the idea of writing had never crossed his mind. “This wasn’t my childhood passion. I wasn’t the kid running around saying, ‘One day I’m going to write a novel.'”
Kinsella enrolled at Oxford University to study music but transferred to the politics, philosophy and economics program after a year.
While at university, she met and fell in love with local musician Henry Wickham. The couple had four sons and one daughter.
After graduation, Kinsella began working as a financial journalist and spent her commute reading books. The idea of writing fiction on his own began to take shape on the train.
He published his first novel Tennis PartyIn 1995, at the age of 24, she played Madeleine Wickham. He soon quit his journalism job to focus on writing. There are six more books among them Door Breaker And Sleeping Arrangementsfollowed.
The success of ‘shopaholic’
An otherwise normal shopping trip gave rise to the idea of writing it for the first time. shopaholic novel
“I remember looking around and thinking… “We all shop… We talk about it. We do. We are happy about this. We make bad decisions. Why hasn’t anyone written about this?” Kinsella said in 2019: Market Hall with Alice-Azania Jarvis podcast.
Kinsella created a story about Becky Bloomwood, a 20-something financial journalist who is in debt because of a shopping habit she can’t (or won’t) quit. The novel included humorous back-and-forth correspondence with bill collectors and banks in which he made excuses for late payments.
Kinsella said in an interview with The Associated Press that the letters were “one of the most fun parts of writing.”
Becky also had a love story with a handsome businessman she met while on duty. He got married and had a mini-shopaholic daughter in future books.
Confessions of a Shopaholic It had a different tone and style than her previous books, so she decided to submit it to her publishers under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella. Her middle name was Sophie and Kinsella was her mother’s maiden name.
The publishers said yes and shopaholic It was published under his pseudonym in 2000. Blending humor with a cautionary tale about getting over your head with debt, the novel was an instant success.
“Becky was like a pioneer who realized that all these easy loans could lead to problems,” Kinsella told the AP.
Bloomwood’s further adventures were followed in the following books: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan And Shopaholic Ties the Knot And Shopaholic and Sister.
Kinsella’s work, along with “Bridget Jones” author Helen Fielding and others, has also been dubbed “chicklight” by the media. He told the AP in 2004 that he didn’t care about the label.
“To me, that means something that’s fun to read, has some sort of modern hero, is entertaining, entertaining, and maybe has a happy ending,” he said.
“Just because you’re interested in trivial things doesn’t mean you can’t be smart and have great ideas and things like that.”
first two shopaholic the books were adapted into a 2009 movie Confessions of a ShopaholicStarring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.
Kinsella also wrote: Untamed Goddess, Remember me? And twenties girl. A young adult novel Finding AudreyIt followed the children’s book series, which was released in 2015. My Mother Fairy and Me.
his novel Can you keep a secret? It was adapted into a movie in 2019, starring Alexandra Daddario and Tyler Hoechlin. his last novel burnoutIt was released in 2023.
Illness and hope
In November 2022, Kinsella, who experienced symptoms such as memory loss, headaches and balance problems, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, which has no cure. He kept the news secret until April 2024. In an interview with TV star Robin Roberts that aired a few months later, Kinsella said he focused on living in the moment.
“I’ve already been able to last better than average. That’s how we get through it. We hope,” he said.
After his diagnosis, he wrote a novella: what a feelingIt’s about a woman with five children who gets brain cancer.
“I thought people would be curious about what it was like to go through this process,” Kinsella told Roberts. “I hope it is filled with the most optimism and love.”
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