Author Sophie Kinsella has died.

She would have celebrated her birthday in two days. But Sophie Kinsella, world-famous for her books and her cult novel "Shoplifters," died today at the age of 56. "Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie considered herself truly fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have enjoyed 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 starting out in journalism, she achieved her first international success in 2000 with the publication of The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, which in the Italian edition became I Love Shopping. The series includes nine novels and an ebook. In 2009, the film I Love Shopping, based on the first two books of the eponymous saga, was released in theaters, starring Isla Fisher in the title role.

The writer had been ill for some time. "Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie considered herself truly fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have enjoyed such extraordinary success in her writing career. She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received," her family wrote in the post.

After revealing on social media in April 2024 that she had brain cancer, Kinsella recounted the discovery of that terrifying diagnosis and how she learned to live and love again in her short novel, "What It Feels Like," published by Mondadori. The protagonist is Eve, a famous writer, who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she ended up there. Her ever-present husband explains that she has undergone surgery to remove a large malignant brain tumor.

"My most autobiographical book. Eve's story is my story," said Sophie Kinsella. Moving and positive, it's a novel about the value of life. As she learns to walk, speak, and write again, Eve must come to terms with her diagnosis and fight the disease while also finding a way to explain what's happening to her to her beloved children. She begins to recall what truly matters to her: the long walks with her husband's hand clasped in hers, the evenings spent playing games with her family, and never giving up on buying that dress she loves.

(Unioneonline)