What happened to Sophie Kinsella? Confessions of a Shopaholic author dies at 55

Sophie Kinsella, the author of Confessions of a Shopaholic, has died. She was 55.

BBC News has reported that the author, who also penned several other books in the bestselling Shopaholic series, is remembered as a "wonderful, warm woman." Born Madeleine Sophie Wickham, she had been dealing with an aggressive form of brain cancer since 2022.

Her novels sold well over 50 million copies across 60 countries, and have also been translated to over 40 languages. She published her first book in the Shopaholic series, "The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic," in 2000. It was eventually adapted into a movie, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.

Sophie Kinsella's life and legacy explored as tributes come pouring in:

Sophie Kinsella sat down for an interview with Good Morning America alongside her husband, Henry Wickham, just last week. She reflected on her success with her Shopaholic book series as she recounted the birth of the idea:

"I was thinking about my visa bill, and so many of us go through the same emotions, the shock, the anger, the denial," she recalled. "And I suddenly thought, ‘Wait, we all go through this? This is universal.’ And that inspired me to write my own character, who shops perhaps just a little too much." "Each character in each of her books is a little bit of her and a little bit of exaggeration," Wickham added.

Sophie Kinsella revealed her glioblastoma diagnosis in a statement on social media in April 2022. At the time, she said that she held back on announcing the news to allow her children to adapt to their family's "new normal." In the recent interview, she recalled feeling odd within her own body:

"The first symptoms that I had was ... my legs. I was stumbling, I was tripping," she said. "I started getting very severe headaches. I got very confused. But it was really when I started tipping over in my chair that we realized something really was wrong."

Following her diagnosis, Sophie Kinsella underwent surgery within 10 days:

"It was an eight-hour operation," she shared. "They found the tumor, and they got it all out as much as they could see. ... You have to take your triumphs where you can. And the surgery was a triumph."

Me Before You author Jojo Moyes, who reportedly knew Kinsella for over 2 decades, told BBC News she had

"never met anybody who carried more grace." "She was incredibly kind, incredibly smart, and she wore her success and her brilliance so lightly," she said. "There was not a person who met her who didn't light up in her presence, because she was just good and kind, and people felt that through her characters," Moyes continued. "She was one of the best people I've ever met... I feel really glad to have known her, really lucky to have had her in my life."

Jodi Picoult, a fellow author, told the outlet that Sophie Kinsella "will be missed greatly", while novelist Adele Parks said she was a "wonderful, warm woman" who "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," Parks said.

Sophie Kinsella's family has since issued a statement confirming her demise:

"She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy." They continued: "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."

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