Sophie Kinsella is a well-known author, who also writes under the name Madeleine Wickham. She is a British novelist, best recognized for her Shopaholic chick lit series. Born as Madeleine Sophie Wickham on December 12, 1969, Kinsella grew up to be a successful author, although she did not study fiction writing. She attended two independent senior schools before going to the University of Oxford, where she initially studied music, but later switched to PPE (politics, philosophy, and economics). Before becoming an author, she worked as a financial journalist for various firms, including Pension World.
Kinsella's writing career took off with her first novel, "The Tennis Party," which she wrote at the age of 24 while working as a financial journalist. The book was an instant success, becoming a top ten bestseller. She later wrote several more novels under the name Madeleine Wickham, including "A Desirable Residence," "Swimming Pool Sunday," "The Gatecrasher," "The Wedding Girl," "Cocktails for Three," and "Sleeping Arrangements." As Sophie Kinsella, she has written several bestsellers, including "Can You Keep a Secret?" and "The Undomestic Goddess." She gained international fame with her Shopaholic series, which includes "The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic" (also published as "Confessions of a Shopaholic"), "Shopaholic Abroad" (also published as "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan"), "Shopaholic Ties the Knot," "Shopaholic & Sister," "Shopaholic & Baby," "Mini Shopaholic," "Shopaholic to the Stars," and "Shopaholic to the Rescue."
Kinsella's books have been translated into over 40 languages and have sold over 40 million copies in more than 60 countries. Her Shopaholic series was adapted into a hit Disney movie, "Confessions of a Shopaholic," starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy. In addition to her Shopaholic series, Kinsella has written several standalone novels, including "Remember Me?" "Twenties Girl," "I've Got Your Number," "Wedding Night," and "My Not So Perfect Life," which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Best Fiction in 2017. She has also written a Young Adult novel, "Finding Audrey," and a children's series, "Mummy Fairy and Me" (also published as "Fairy Mom and Me"). Kinsella's latest novel, "Surprise Me," was published in February 2018. She currently lives in London, UK, with her husband and family.