'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella dies aged 55

AFP | London

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British author Sophie Kinsella, who penned the popular "Shopaholic" series, has died aged 55 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, her family announced yesterday.

Madeleine Sophie Wickham, who wrote under the pen name Sophie Kinsella, revealed last year that she was receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie," her family said on Instagram.

"Sophie counted herself truly blessed -- to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career," her family said.

She published over 30 books which have sold some 50 million copies and have been translated into over 40 languages, according to a biography on her website.

Her lighthearted writing style won fans for its humour and relatability, giving an insight into the romances, careers and financial concerns of young women.

Kinsella preferred the terms "romantic comedy" or "wit lit" over "chick lit" to describe her work.

The first two books from her "Shopaholic" series were adapted for the 2009 romantic comedy film "Confessions of a Shopaholic" starring Isla Fisher.

They tell the stories of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who is a serial shopper and hopeless when it comes to her own finances.

"I was really excited, it felt like a new voice," Kinsella said of penning the series in 2000.

"I thought it was my side project. But having discovered comedy, it's addictive," she told The Times newspaper in 2024.