Sophie Kinsella, author of the 'Shopaholic' series, dies after turning her cancer diagnosis into last book

Highlights:

• Sophie Kinsella dies aged 55 after a two-year cancer battle
• Family shares a short, emotional statement on Instagram
• Shopaholic author sold more than 50 million books worldwide
• Her last work touched directly on her illness and recovery
• Tributes rise from readers across the UK and abroad

Sophie Kinsella dies aged 55, leaving behind one of the most familiar names in modern commercial fiction and a long list of readers who grew up with her stories. Her family confirmed that the writer, known for the Shopaholic series, had been living with an aggressive brain cancer since 2022.

Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella dies aged 55 as final book revealed the illness she kept private Instagram/sophiekinsellawriter

Why Sophie Kinsella mattered to so many readers

Her family’s statement said she died peacefully, surrounded by family, music and the small things she always enjoyed. The note also mentioned how she stayed grateful through her treatment.

Kinsella’s books reached more than 60 countries. They travelled widely because the tone was easy, warm, and grounded in everyday chaos. The Shopaholic novels alone sold over 50 million copies. Many readers met her through Becky Bloomwood, the character who made the series work.

Away from that franchise, she wrote under her real name, Madeleine Wickham. Those early novels were more restrained, more rooted in the financial world she once worked in. The shift to the Kinsella pen name changed her career entirely.

How Sophie Kinsella shaped the Shopaholic world

Her first Shopaholic book, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, caught the rush of spending, the panic after, and the odd choices people make when life piles up. That one book turned into eight. Then came the film, Confessions of a Shopaholic, with Isla Fisher in the lead.

Readers often said her stories were comforting. That was part of her pull. She did not write from a distance; she wrote like someone who knew the sound of real conversations.

What Sophie Kinsella wrote in her final years

Her last release, What Does It Feel Like?, came out in October 2024. She was writing from a different place, using her own diagnosis and recovery as the starting point. She kept writing for younger readers too, adding children’s books and a young adult title to her catalogue. Her publisher said she never drifted from real life themes, even when the plots stayed light.

How fans are reacting to Sophie Kinsella’s death

Bookshops reported a rise in searches within hours of the family statement. Long-time fans posted old covers, with notes about how the books helped them through school or early jobs. A few authors shared brief tributes, calling her generous and steady.

There was no final message from Kinsella herself. Just the family’s last line: she will be missed. And she will.