Sophie Kinsella, the author behind the globally beloved Shopaholic novel series, has died at the age of 55. Her family announced the news on Monday, stating that she passed away peacefully after a battle with brain cancer.
Kinsella, whose real name was Madeleine Wickham, was diagnosed in late 2022 with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. She shared the diagnosis publicly in April 2024.
In a statement posted on her Instagram account, her family expressed their heartbreak. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie… She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family, music, warmth, Christmas, and joy.”
Kinsella’s ten Shopaholic novels, which began in 2000 with The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (later titled Confessions of a Shopaholic in the U.S.), have sold over 45 million copies worldwide. The books follow the misadventures of financial journalist Becky Bloomwood and her struggles with her own spending.
The first two books were adapted into the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, which starred actress Isla Fisher.
