Author Sophie Kinsella, who penned the ‘Shopaholic’ books, has died at 55

Sophie Kinsella, who wrote the massively popular Shopaholic book series, has died. The writer, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, was 55 years old. Last year, she announced she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022.

Her death was announced on Instagram on Wednesday: “Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed — to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received.”

Kinsella’s novels were a sensation; they sold tens of millions of copies and were translated into dozens of languages. The first two books in the Shopaholic series were adapted into the 2009 movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.

In an NPR interview from 2019, she said her novels focused on young women and their travails, even though she was herself a mother with five children.

“I just think there’s something exciting about the time of life where you’re on the lookout for opportunities in all directions. You’re looking at your career. You’re looking at finding someone to love. Everything is ahead of you,” she said. “And for me, the — kind of the wide, open horizon is so exciting. There is something exhilarating about meeting a stranger in a coffee shop and thinking, where’s this going to go?”