Sophie Kinsella, the famous English writer, revealed to her fans in April that she has brain cancer. She did so through a social media post in which she shared the therapies she had to undergo and why she decided not to make the news public earlier.
Verissimo, the guests of the weekend (Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November): from Sophie Kinsella to Salvatore Esposito
Sophie Kinsella will tell her story today to Silvia Toffanin in the new episode of Verissimo. Let’s retrace the history of the bestselling author of I Love Shopping.
Life and Career
Sophie Kinsella, pseudonym of Madeleine Sophie Wickham, was born in London on December 12, 1969 (therefore she is 54 years old). After graduating in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from New College, Oxford, she worked briefly as a financial journalist before dedicating herself entirely to fiction. She published seven romance novels under her real name, which are not very well known to the general public. In 2000, she transitioned to the so-called “chick lit” genre, publishing her first international success, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella (her mother’s maiden name). Between 2000 and 2010, she authored nine more novels as Kinsella, including five sequels to I Love Shopping.
The Success of I Love Shopping
I Love Shopping by Sophie Kinsella, originally titled “The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic”, is one of the most emblematic novels of the chick lit genre, first published in 2000. The series achieved enormous international success, cementing Kinsella’s reputation as one of the most beloved and followed authors of her genre. The protagonist of the novel, Rebecca Bloomwood, is a financial journalist with an insatiable passion for shopping. Despite her job advising others on how to manage their money, Becky constantly finds herself overwhelmed by debt due to her compulsive spending. The contradiction between her professional and personal life not only offers moments of lightness and humor but also opens a window to deeper themes such as self-control, responsibility, and the pursuit of happiness. The light and often hilarious tone with which Kinsella narrates Becky’s adventures has captivated readers looking for a pleasant and carefree read. The success of I Love Shopping led to the creation of a film of the same name in 2009, starring Isla Fisher as Becky. Although the film made some changes to the book’s plot, it further amplified the interest and appreciation for Becky’s character and her financial misadventures.
The Works
The series depicting the daring adventures of Becky Bloomwood (published in Italy by Mondadori) continues with I Love Shopping in White (2003), I Love Shopping with My Sister (2004), I Love Shopping for Baby (2007), Mini Shopaholic (2010), and Shopaholic to the Stars (2014). Among her other books are Can You Keep a Secret? (2003), The Undomestic Goddess (2005), Remember Me? (2008), Twenties Girl (2009), I’ve Got Your Number (2011), Wedding Night (2013), Finding Audrey (2015), My Not So Perfect Life (2017), Surprise Me (2018), Christmas Shopaholic (2019), Love Your Life (2020), and The Burnout (2023), all published by Mondadori.
Private Life
Sophie Kinsella lives in London with her husband Henry Wickham and five children (Freddy, Hugo, Oscar, Rex, and Sybella). Her sister, Gemma Townley, is also a moderately successful writer (and musician).
The Tumor
Sophie Kinsella announced last April 17 that she has a brain cancer. She explained that she underwent surgery and is undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She announced it herself with a message on social media. “I had wanted to share a health update with you for a long time,” writes the author of many bestsellers, “and I was waiting for the strength to do it. At the end of 2022, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. I didn’t share it earlier because I wanted to make sure my children could hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our new normal.”
Sophie Kinsella, in “What It Feels Like” her fight against brain cancer
Speaking to the New York Times, she recounted: “For a long time, I couldn’t say the word ‘cancer.’ There was still a residual sense of embarrassment, of disbelief due to fear.”
And she recalls the first symptoms of the disease. “My legs stopped working,” she told the American newspaper, “I was moving strangely, I couldn’t climb stairs.” A brain scan followed, and the diagnosis. The doctors removed the tumor on November 25, 2022, with an 8-hour surgery. “When I woke up, I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t write my name. I had no sense of balance. I couldn’t turn my head.”
The Latest Book, “What It Feels Like”
In her latest work, Sophie Kinsella tells of the illness. “My most autobiographical book. Eve’s story is my story,” explains the author. In the story, Eve, a famous writer, wakes up one day in a hospital bed without remembering how she got there.
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