Madeleine Sophie Wickham, who wrote the bestselling Shopaholic series under the pen name Sophie Kinsella, has passed away at the age of 55.
The writer was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022.
On Wednesday, December 10, her family issued an emotional statement noting, "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," the statement read.
Kinsella's books have sold more than 50 million copies in more than 60 countries and have been translated into more than 40 languages.
The family statement added, "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."
Born in London in 1969, Kinsella studied music at New College, Oxford, before switching to philosophy, politics and economics.
She wrote her first novel, The Tennis Party, at the age of 24 under her married name, Madeleine Wickham, while working as a financial journalist.
Her most recent novella, What Does It Feel Like?, published in October 2024, was a semi-fictional account of her cancer diagnosis, written after she had surgery.
