‘Shopaholic' Author Sophie Kinsella Reveals She Is Undergoing Treatment for Brain Cancer

Writer Sophie Kinsella attends the premiere of "Confessions of a Shopaholic" at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on Feb. 5, 2009. Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

British author Sophie Kinsella, renowned for her best-selling “Shopaholic” book series, has announced that she is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma.

The 54-year-old writer revealed the shocking news in an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, noting that she had been diagnosed with the life-threatening disease in the fall of 2022.

“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,” captioned the author, who shares five children with her husband, Henry Wickham.

“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,’” she said.

Ms. Kinsella shared that she has been receiving treatment at the University College Hospital in London, adding that she is currently undergoing chemotherapy after completing rounds of radiation therapy. The author also mentioned that she had a “successful” surgery to remove her brain tumor.

“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,” she described.

Ms. Kinsella wrote that she was grateful to her close friends and family, stating she was thankful for the doctors and nurses who have been treating her at the hospital. “I am also so grateful to my readers for your constant support,” she remarked.

“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,” she said.

Outpouring of Support

Ms. Kinsella’s emotional health update triggered a wave of supportive comments from fans and fellow writers alike.

British author Lucy Foley, who penned “The Guest List” (2020) and “The Paris Apartment” (2022), among others, wrote that she was “sending all positive wishes” for Ms. Kinsella’s speedy recovery.

“I’m so sorry to read this,” wrote “Wrong Place Wrong Time” author Gillian McAllister. “You were the first adult fiction I ever read, age 17. I owe you a lot.”

Actress Isla Fisher, who starred in the 2009 rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” an adaptation of the first two novels in Ms. Kinsella’s “Shopaholic” series, also expressed her well-wishes online. “Sending you so much love and healing energy,” she commented on the Instagram post.

In response to the outpouring of love, Ms. Kinsella—whose latest book, “The Burnout,” debuted last October—issued a follow-up post on Friday. In a video shared to her Instagram, the author said the past few days have been “surreal.”

“But you know what’s made me feel so much better is this amazing wave of love that I have felt from all of you lovely readers. It has just blown me away,” she said, adding that she has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of messages she has received, many of which moved her to tears.

“It means the world, it really does,” she added. “I feel very lucky.”

Ms. Kinsella continued: “I know that some of you are going through a similar disease or your loved one is or you’re just going through some hardship at the moment, and I share in that. We'll get through it together.”

Glioblastoma

According to the Mayo Clinic, glioblastoma is a type of cancer that forms in the cells of the brain or spinal cord. The tumors grow rapidly, spreading to nearby brain tissue, resulting in an array of symptoms, such as constant headaches, double or blurred vision, vomiting, disruptions in mood, difficulties with speech, and seizures.

Although glioblastoma can develop in people of any age, it is most commonly diagnosed around the age of 64 and is more prevalent in men compared to women, per the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

The rapid growth rate of glioblastoma tumors coupled with their inherent resistance to common forms of cancer treatment make this type of brain cancer relatively difficult to treat. Treatment plans usually entail surgery to remove the cancerous mass, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which help to eradicate any remaining cancer cells.

According to the Glioblastoma Research Organization, the average survival rate for adults battling the aggressive form of brain cancer is a little over 14.5 months. A quarter of children who have glioblastoma live upwards of five years beyond the date of their diagnosis.