Confessions of a Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis

Sophie Kinsella, the Confessions of a Shopaholic author, has revealed she is suffering from an aggressive form of brain cancer.

The 54-year-old novelist, whose real name is Madeleine Wickham, announced her diagnosis of glioblastoma in a post on social media on Wednesday.

Kinsella said she is receiving ongoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy at University College Hospital in London.

In a written statement on Instagram, she said: “I’ve wanted for a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so. At the end of 2022, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer.

“I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ‘new normal’.

“At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired and my memory is even worse than it was before.

“I am so grateful to my family and close friends who have been an incredible support to me, and to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me.”

Kinsella thanked her readers for their “constant support”, adding that their response to her latest book, The Burnout, published in October 2023, has “buoyed” her.

She first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series called The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic.

The first two novels in the eight-book series were adapted for the Confessions of a Shopaholic film starring Isla Fisher in 2009.

Fisher responded to Kinsella’s post and said: “Sending you so much love and healing energy.”

Kinsella has five children and is married to Henry Wickham. He works as her business manager, according to LinkedIn.

She has sold over 45 million copies of her books in more than 60 countries, which have been translated into over 40 languages, according to her website.

Kinsella concluded her written statement with a message to other cancer patients.

She said: “To everyone who is suffering from cancer in any form, I send love and best wishes, as well as to those who support them.

“It can feel very lonely and scary to have a tough diagnosis, and the support and care of those around you means more than words can say. I’ll be in touch soon, and in the meantime, greetings from sunny London.”

Kinsella wrote her first novel under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, aged 24 while working as a financial journalist. The Tennis Party became a top-10 bestseller.

She was born in London and studied music at New College, Oxford, but switched to politics, philosophy and economics after a year.