Sophie Kinsella, the writer of 'I Love Shopping', died
The British author had been ill for some time
"We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy)." With a post on Instagram, the family of Sophie Kinsella announced the death of the British writer, author among others of the hit series I Love Shopping. "She died peacefully, with her last days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy. We cannot imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life'.
The writer, who would have turned 56 on 12 December, had been ill for some time. "Despite her illness, which she carried with unimaginable courage, Sophie considered herself truly lucky to have such a wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received,' her family wrote in the post.
After his beginnings in journalism, he achieved his first international success in 2000 with the publication of The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, whose title in the Italian edition became I Love Shopping. The series comprises nine novels and an ebook. In 2009, the film I Love Shopping (original title: Confessions of a Shopaholic) was released in cinemas. based on the first two books of the saga of the same name, starring Isla Fisher in the title role.
The British author had been ill with glioblastoma since 2022, a diagnosis only publicly revealed in April 2024. Since then, she had continued to write, communicate with readers and show herself, as always, with that combination of irony and delicacy that made the fortune of her books. Kinsella was a unique voice in contemporary fiction: an ideal friend for millions of readers, an ironic confidante and accomplice of laughter and tears. Her works have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over 40 languages. I Love Shopping, published here by Mondadori, was a global phenomenon that redefined the chick lit genre and transformed a young financial journalist with a passion for compulsive shopping into a true pop icon.
Born in London on 12 December 1969, Sophie Kinsella was the eldest child of David R. Townley and Patricia B. Kinsella. Growing up in a lively family, she soon became a reference point for her two sisters, Abigail and Gemma. The latter, Gemma Townley, would follow in her footsteps years later, becoming a writer herself. Gifted with a strong eclectic sensibility, Kinsella first studied music, then philosophy, politics and economics at New College, Oxford. Immediately after graduation, she worked as a financial journalist, an experience she described as 'rather boring', but which over the years would provide valuable material for the characters and situations in her novels.
