Iconic Sophie Kinsella, the bestselling author best known for the Shopaholic novels, has passed on aged 55, her family announced on Instagram, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Her family told Sky News she ‘died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.’
Kinsella kept her illness private after a glioblastoma diagnosis in 2022.
She wrote about the experience in a 2024 novella and drew on it in later work.
Her books have sold in the tens of millions worldwide and reached readers across more than 60 countries. Her Confessions of a Shopaholic character Becky Bloomwood became a cultural touchstone and inspired a 2009 film (People.com).
From frugal to feral in 5 seconds flat.
Film: CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (2009) pic.twitter.com/9v61m9BIHw
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) November 28, 2025
Friends and fellow writers paid warm tribute. Jojo Moyes said she’d ‘never met anybody who carried more grace.’
Bill Scott-Kerr of Transworld described Kinsella as having ‘a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit’ which will continue to inspire readers.
She is survived by her husband, Henry and their five children.
Readers remember Kinsella for humour that held heart. Her work mixed comedy with real-life concerns and offered comfort to many at difficult times.
Be the first to know – Join our WhatsApp Channel for content worth tapping into! Click here to join!
Also read:
Picture: Stefania D’Alessandro
