Sophie Kinsella, the beloved British author best known for Confessions of a Shopaholic, has died at age 55. Her family announced her passing on Instagram, sharing that she died peacefully, surrounded by “family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.”
Kinsella – born Madeleine Wickham – was diagnosed with an aggressive form of glioblastoma in 2022. She revealed her illness publicly in April 2024, explaining she had undergone surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with the support of specialists at University College Hospital in London. She chose to keep the diagnosis private initially to give her children time to process the news.
Her family paid tribute to her courage, saying she “took nothing for granted” and was deeply grateful for her loved ones and the success of her writing career. “She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking,” they wrote.
Born in London in 1969, Kinsella studied at Oxford before becoming a financial journalist. She published her first novel at 24 under her real name before adopting the pen name Sophie Kinsella when Confessions of a Shopaholic launched her to worldwide fame. The 2009 film adaptation starred Isla Fisher, who sent the author supportive wishes during her cancer battle.
Kinsella authored nine books in the Shopaholic series, as well as numerous standalone novels, including Can You Keep a Secret?, which was also adapted into a film in 2019. Her works have sold over 45 million copies in more than 60 countries.
Her final book, What Does It Feel Like? (2024), chronicled her experience with cancer.
Kinsella is survived by her husband, Henry Wickham, and their five children.
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