Sophie Kinsella, the bestselling author of the “Shopaholic” series, has very recently died. She had been open about living with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
What happened
Sophie Kinsella (born Madeleine Sophie Wickham) was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain cancer, in late 2022 and publicly shared this diagnosis in 2024 along with the fact that she had undergone brain surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Her family later announced that she died peacefully at home in Dorset on 10 December 2025 at the age of 55, surrounded by close family and the things she loved.
Her illness and final years
After emergency surgery for another health issue, scans revealed her brain tumor, and she spent the following years in intensive treatment while continuing to write. In 2024 she described her surgery as successful but noted ongoing effects on memory, movement, and fatigue, even as she tried to maintain a sense of normal life with her husband and five children in England.
Her work and legacy
Kinsella became internationally known for her “Shopaholic” novels, which sold over 50 million copies worldwide and inspired the 2009 film “Confessions of a Shopaholic.” Her later work, including a novel closely reflecting a character’s recovery after brain-tumor surgery, has been described as drawing heavily on her own experience and is now being highlighted as part of her creative legacy.
