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Sophie Kinsella

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Sophie Kinsella
BornMadeleine Sophie Townley
(1969-12-12) 12 December 1969 (age 55)
Wandsworth, England
OccupationNovelist
Period1995–present
GenreRomantic comedy
Notable worksThe Shopaholic series
Spouse
Henry Wickham
​
(m. 1991)​
Website
sophiekinsella.co.uk

Madeleine Sophie Wickham, known by her pen name Sophie Kinsella, is an English author. The first two novels in her best-selling Shopaholic series, The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Abroad, were adapted into the film Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). Her books have sold over 40 million copies in more than 60 countries and have been translated into over 40 languages.[1]

In 2024, her novel What Does It Feel Like? was selected as one of The New York Times' 100 Notable Books of the Year.[2] The novel was also listed as one of the five best of the year by The Guardian.[3]

Early life

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Madeleine Sophie Wickham is the eldest sister of fellow writers, Gemma and Abigail Townley. She was educated at Putney High School, St Mary's School, Shaftesbury and Sherborne School for Girls. She graduated from New College, Oxford, where she initially studied Music, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE).[4] She worked as a financial journalist (including for Pensions World) before turning to writing fiction.[5]

Life and career

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At the age of 24, Kinsella wrote her first novel, which was published when she was 26. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three, and Sleeping Arrangements.

Wickham's first novel under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella (taken from her middle name and her mother's maiden name)[6] was submitted to her publishers anonymously and was enthusiastically received. She revealed her real identity for the first time when Can You Keep a Secret? was published in December 2003.[7]

Kinsella is best known for writing the Shopaholic novels series of chick lit novels, which focus on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. Becky is also known for her relationship with Luke. The series focuses on her obsession with shopping and its resulting complications for her life. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into a film and released in February 2009.[citation needed][8]

"Shopaholic to the Rescue" was released on 22 October 2015; "Christmas Shopaholic" was released in October 2019. Her most recent standalone novels are My Not So Perfect Life (2017), Surprise Me (2018), I Owe You One (Feb 2019), Love Your Life (2020), The Party Crasher (2021), The Burnout (2023), and What Does It Feel Like? (2024).[9] In 2015, she branched into Young Adult writing with her first YA book, Finding Audrey, published in June 2015.[10]

A musical adaptation of Kinsella's novel Sleeping Arrangements by Chris Burgess was premiered on 17 April 2013 in London at the Landor Theatre.

Personal life

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In 1991, Kinsella married Henry Wickham, whom she had met at Oxford. A schoolmaster, he became head of Lockers Park Preparatory School and now manages her business affairs. They live in Dorset and London and have four sons and a daughter.[11][12]

In 2024, Kinsella revealed she had glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer which she was diagnosed with in late 2022.[13]

Bibliography

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As Sophie Kinsella

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The Shopaholic series

  1. The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also titled Confessions of a Shopaholic) (2000)
  2. Shopaholic Abroad (also titled Shopaholic Takes Manhattan) (2001)
  3. Shopaholic Ties The Knot (2001)
  4. Shopaholic & Sister (2004)
  5. Shopaholic & Baby (2007)
  6. Mini Shopaholic (2010)
  7. Shopaholic to the Stars (2014)
  8. Shopaholic on Honeymoon (2014) — short story
  9. Shopaholic to the Rescue (2015)
  10. Christmas Shopaholic (2019)

Standalone novels

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Other

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  • Girls Night In (2004) (an omnibus of novels, along with many authors including Meg Cabot and Jennifer Weiner)
  • Finding Audrey (2015) (a young adult novel)
  • Mummy Fairy and Me (2018) (an illustrated series for young readers)

As Madeleine Wickham

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  • The Tennis Party (1995) (re-released as 40 Love in 2011)
  • A Desirable Residence (1996)
  • Swimming Pool Sunday (1997)
  • The Gatecrasher (1998)
  • The Wedding Girl (1999)
  • Cocktails for Three (2000)
  • Sleeping Arrangements (2001)

References

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  1. ^ "Biography". Sophie Kinsella. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  2. ^ Staff, The New York Times Books (26 November 2024). "100 Notable Books of 2024". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  3. ^ Colgan, Jenny (2 December 2024). "Five of the best romance books of 2024". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Madeleine Wickham profile". Fantasticfiction.co.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  5. ^ Caldwell, Rebecca (21 September 2010). "Famous pen names". Chatelaine. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  6. ^ Profile, notablebiographies.com; accessed 12 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Biography". Sophie Kinsella. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Confessions of a Shopaholic release info". IMDb. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  9. ^ Graeme (28 September 2014). "Sophie Kinsella". Book Series in Order. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  10. ^ McClurg, Jocelyn. "Exclusive excerpt from new Sophie Kinsella". USA TODAY. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  11. ^ "WICKHAM – Births Announcements – Telegraph Announcements". Announcements.telegraph.co.uk. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  12. ^ "Sophie Kinsella: Author reveals brain cancer diagnosis". BBC News. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  13. ^ Kinsella, Sophie. "Sharing some news". Retrieved 17 April 2024.
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