Celebrated author Sophie Kinsella, who penned worldwide hit Confessions Of A Shopaholic, has died aged 55 following a three-year battle with brain cancer.
The writer and mother-of-five, real name Madeleine Sophie Wickham, received the devastating diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2022.
A statement posted to her Instagram account today read: ‘We are heartbroken 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 and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.
‘We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.
‘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. She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking.’
The first two works in her hit Shopaholic series, The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic and Shopaholic Abroad, were adapted into the 2009 film Confessions Of A Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.
Last year, she wrote What Does It Feel Like – a semi-autobiographical book exploring her battle with cancer.
The author announced in April 2024 she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: ‘At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer.
‘I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our “new normal”.’
She said in the post that she has been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
She released The Burnout in October 2023 and her other bestselling books include Can You Keep A Secret? and The Undomestic Goddess.
Her novels have sold more than 45million copies in more than 60 countries, and have been translated into more than 40 languages.
Writers and actors alike have been paying tribute to the author today, with Isla Fisher writing on Instagram: ‘You conjured Rebecca Bloomwood, a hilarious, flawed dream of a comic character – and I was lucky enough to step into her shoes and speak your witty and brilliant words.
‘My daughters grew up being read your books and love them to this day. My heart is broken.
‘You are still my hero, and I’m grateful for you. And though we won’t meet again, your light and magic lives on in your incredible characters.’
Jill Mansell wrote: ‘This is the saddest news. Maddy was a brilliant writer but more importantly a truly lovely person.
‘In both respects she brought so much joy to the world. Life is unfair. Sending love to her family and all who will miss her so much.’
Daisy Buchanan posted: ‘This is devastating. I don’t have the words – I send so much love to everyone who knew her, I’m so so grateful for all of the joy she brought me, it’s been the greatest privilege to be a reader and a fan.’
Another author Joanna Miller said: ‘The saddest possible news – Sophie was a wonderful writer and a huge, huge inspiration.’
Julia Raeside added: ‘Such awful, awful news. All the love to her family and friends. What a legacy she leaves.’
Author Jenny Colgan described Kinsella as ‘a joy in life’, saying: ‘Every one of Sophie’s 40million readers knew how funny and smart she was on the page.
‘She was the same in real life, except even kinder, even smarter, and modest to a totally ridiculous degree.
‘She was a joy in life, she brought that joy to her work, and her friends adored her as much as her readers do. She was our Beth, and we are inconsolable.’
Writer Jodi Picoult also paid tribute to Kinsella, commenting on Kinsella’s Instagram post: ‘Sending love to Sophie’s family. She will be missed greatly.’
Author Adele Parks added: ‘What a wonderful warm woman, Maddy brought so much joy to the world.
‘She’ll be missed so much but celebrated too and will live on in millions of minds and hearts. Sending love and deepest condolences to her family and friends.’
Just nine weeks ago Kinsella was paying tribute following the death of novelist Dame Jilly Cooper, sharing a photo of the pair together on Instagram.
She added the caption: ‘Devastated to hear of the death of Jilly Cooper, the funniest, smartest, sexiest, most fabulous author, beloved by all. I’ll miss you, Jilly.’
Last year Kinsella revealed her husband had to remind her of her incurable brain tumour diagnosis every day after surgery resulted in short term memory loss.
The mother-of-five told ITV’s Lorraine show in October last year how she lost her memory after undergoing a gruelling eight-hour surgery to remove the brain tumour.
She said: ‘He (her husband Henry) had to tell me more than once, over and over, this bad news, “You’ve got cancer and it’s incurable”. I don’t know how he did it. I think that’s where he showed his greatest love for me.’
She also told how her five children had coped, saying: ‘We have really focused in on the days that we have and not thinking happy ever after but thinking happy now, happy today.’
She had first noticed something was wrong when she started tripping and losing her balance, before getting severe headaches and later began tipping over in her chair and went to the doctors.
It was then doctors discovered an ‘aggressive and fast-growing tumour’ in her brain and 10 days later, Sophie had an eight-hour operation that saw doctors remove the tumour.
However when she awoke from surgery, she had absolutely no memory of what had happened – not her diagnosis or that she had undergone such gruelling surgery.
She told Lorraine Kelly: ‘It was absolutely bizarre.
‘That’s in the book as well, what it’s like to lose your memory. I lost my short term memory.
‘So I would be told what had happened and I’d be like, “Oh, yes, I understand that now” and the next day I’d forgotten.’
Of her husband’s dedication, the author said: ‘Honestly I couldn’t have survived [without him] but it was hard for him. It’s really hard to tell someone bad news.’
Speaking more about her children, she said: ‘We have this little ritual before we go to bed we go over the events of the day.
‘I have to be honest, this first began because I would forget the events of the day. But it’s actually a really good little bedtime routine.
‘You just say well we had this lovely meal, we saw this friend, we went for a walk and we saw that lovely view, or even just we got this lovely email.
‘Just remember what happened, register it, and it makes you feel really good about the day.’
Joining in with today’s tributes, her agents at The Soho Agency, Araminta Whitley and Marina de Pass, described her as ‘a once-in-a-lifetime author and friend’ and described working with her as ‘the privilege of our working lives’.
Their statement said: ‘Maddy was an intelligent, imaginative, loving and irreverent woman who valued the deeply connective power of fiction.
‘She had a rare gift for creating emotionally resonant protagonists and stories that spoke to, and entertained, readers wherever they were in the world and whatever challenges they faced.
‘She also had an unmatched wit and ability to find the funny side. Comedy, for her, was both an art form and an intellectual pursuit and she instinctively understood that it is often a tightrope act of balancing light with dark.’
They added: ‘It is hard to contemplate life and work without Maddy. We will remember her for her warmth, insight and irrepressible sense of humour, for the magnificent, witty and resonant novels she leaves behind, and for making our days infinitely more meaningful and fun.
‘We are completely heartbroken at her death. We loved her dearly and will miss her more than we can say.’
Bill Scott-Kerr, her publisher at Transworld for the past 30 years, said: ‘I have had the true pleasure of knowing Maddy for the past three decades. Transworld have been lucky enough to publish every one of her adult novels.
‘She was our author, our cheerleader, our fellow conspirator and our friend. From the outset it has been a genuine partnership based on commitment, trust and celebration that has gone from strength to strength over the years, right up to the heart-breaking brilliance of her last novella.
‘She has been such an unshakeable pillar of our publishing at Transworld for so many years that the thought of a year without a Sophie Kinsella to publish is inconceivable.’
He described Kinsella as a ‘complete professional’ who ‘consistently delivered above and beyond what she promised’, but said she was also ‘intensely, authentically herself, intelligent, creative, intuitively understanding and curious about the world, and the people who lived in it’.
He added: ‘Maddy leaves behind a glorious and indelible legacy, a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit, a goodness of intent and a body of work that will continue to inspire us to reach higher and be better, just like so many of her characters.
‘On a personal level Maddy was the embodiment of joy, an extraordinarily clever, funny, sassy, impish, kind and generous collaborator who brought light into our lives. She was as part of this company as anyone, and we will all truly miss her.’
Glioblastomas are the deadliest and most aggressive type of brain cancer.
About 3,200 people are diagnosed with a glioblastoma every year in the UK – and of these, just 160 survive for five years or more.
Dr Michele Afif, chief executive of the Brain Tumour Charity where Kinsella was an ambassador, said: ‘Sophie was a courageous advocate and, with her family and friends, tireless supporter of our work.
‘She did so much to raise vital awareness of brain tumours and the urgent need for more research to find better treatments. We are privileged to have known her and her wonderful family.
‘She was adored by so many. Her books and her wonderful energy will remain an inspiration to us all. Our hearts go out to her family, friends and fans worldwide.’
Read more
- How did bestselling ‘Shopaholic’ author Sophie Kinsella face her fierce battle against aggressive brain cancer?
