Kinsella’s Shopaholic book series includes Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot and more.
A statement posted to her Instagram account reads: “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.”
Madeleine Sophie Wickham, who wrote under the pen name Sophie Kinsella, announced in April 2024 she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: “At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer.
“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal.”
Tributes flood in following death of author Sophie Kinsella
Araminta Whitley and Marina de Pass, Sophie Kinsella’s agents at The Soho Agency, said: “Maddy was a once-in-a-lifetime author and friend, and it has been the privilege of our working lives to represent her since the beginning of her career.
“Over the last three decades, her success has been truly international: she published 34 novels across adult, YA (young adult) and children’s publishing that have topped charts around the world, breaking records and defying expectations. Yet reaching higher heights wasn’t what drove her.
“Maddy was an intelligent, imaginative, loving and irreverent woman who valued the deeply connective power of fiction. She had a rare gift for creating emotionally resonant protagonists and stories that spoke to, and entertained, readers wherever they were in the world and whatever challenges they faced.
“She also had an unmatched wit and ability to find the funny side. Comedy, for her, was both an art form and an intellectual pursuit and she instinctively understood that it is often a tightrope act of balancing light with dark.”
Their statement added: “Her readers, and we include ourselves in that, felt seen and understood by her protagonists and their stories. We have lost count of the number of fans we met at events and in signing lines who wanted her to know that her books had helped them through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Yet through it all, Maddy remained humble and full of wonder at her success and influence.
“Consequently, she was profoundly moved, and buoyed, by the outpouring of love and support she received on publicly disclosing her glioblastoma diagnosis last year.”
“It is hard to contemplate life and work without Maddy. We will remember her for her warmth, insight and irrepressible sense of humour, for the magnificent, witty and resonant novels she leaves behind, and for making our days infinitely more meaningful and fun. We are completely heartbroken at her death. We loved her dearly and will miss her more than we can say.”
Fans of her books shared touching tributes on X with one saying: “It’s heartbreaking to hear about Sophie Kinsella’s passing. Her books brought me so much joy and laughter over the years. Twenties Girl and Can You Keep a Secret are my favorites. Thank you for the escapism and smiles, Sophie. Your stories will live on.”
Fellow author Lucy Foley commented on the Kinsella’s Instagram post: “Oh I’m so sorry and so sad. Sophie will always be such an inspiration. I once worked as a very junior assistant at LAW (now Soho) agency and she was the loveliest of authors to work with. So gracious, so generous and so elegant. Xx”
Author Alex Brown commented: “Utterly devastating darling Maddie. Your books changed my life, Shopaholic the inspiration that spurred me on to write my first novel. Forever grateful and remembering your light always ❤️❤️❤️”.
Bill Scott-Kerr, publisher at Transworld, the publishing home of author Sophie Kinsella for the past 30 years, said: “She has been such an unshakeable pillar of our publishing at Transworld for so many years that the thought of a year without a Sophie Kinsella to publish is inconceivable.”
He added: “Maddy leaves behind a glorious and indelible legacy: a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit, a goodness of intent and a body of work that will continue to inspire us to reach higher and be better, just like so many of her characters.
“On a personal level Maddy was the embodiment of joy, an extraordinarily clever, funny, sassy, impish, kind and generous collaborator who brought light into our lives. She was as part of this company as anyone, and we will all truly miss her.”
