Bestselling English novelist Sophie Kinsella dies at 55

The author Sophie Kinsella has died aged 55, her family have said. Kinsella, best known for her bestselling Shopaholic novels, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2022. She revealed the news to the public last year.

- KATIE ROSSEINSKY

A statement posted to her Instagram account said: “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.”

Her books have sold around 45 million copies in more than 60 countries, and have been translated into more than 40 languages and adapted for film and theatre.

Born Madeleine Sophie Townley in 1969, Kinsella grew up in London and studied politics, philosophy and economics at New College, Oxford, before working as a financial journalist. Inspired by authors like Mary Wesley and Joanna Trollope, she wrote her first novel,