Life would not at all times go to plan… cherish good buddies… your loved ones will at all times be there for you: The heartwarming phrases of knowledge mother-of-five Sophie Kinsella wrote to her daughter – as best-selling writer dies aged 55
Sophie Kinsella gave some heartwarming words of wisdom to her daughter in an open letter, where she tear-jerkingly told her: ‘Your family will always be there for you.’
The Confessions of a Shopaholic author, who has died aged 55, penned the witty and loving advice to Sybella when she was aged seven.
The writer and mother-of-five in 2019 gave her offspring some of the life lessons she had learned over the years as ‘I look ahead and want so badly to smooth life’s path for you’.
Sophie, whose real name was Madeleine Sophie Wickham, wrote: ‘I want good to triumph over bad, for your story to have a happy ending. But, in the real world, I can’t make that happen.
‘All I can do is pass on the lessons I’ve learned and hope you will find them useful.’
She affectionately told Sybella she wanted her to ‘become a strong, happy and fulfilled woman’.
Sophie movingly told her daughter that life doesn’t have to be perfect, and to cherish good friends.
‘It’s so easy to buy into other people’s boasting, whether it’s on Instagram or in the school playground,’ she wrote.
Sophie Kinsella gave some heartwarming words of wisdom to her daughter in an open letter, where she tear-jerkingly told her: ‘Your family will always be there for you’
The Confessions of a Shopaholic author (pictured), who has died aged 55, penned the witty and loving advice to Sybella when she was aged seven’
The writer and mother-of-five in 2019 gave her offspring some of the life lessons she had learned over the years as ‘I look ahead and want so badly to smooth life’s path for you’
‘I was mesmerised by a girl I met on a music course when I was ten. She told me she was allowed to wear lipstick at weekends and smoke and drive her brother’s car. And did I realise my jumper was really uncool? I fell for it all — and instantly hated my jumper.
‘But people lie. And they exaggerate. (My jumper was no worse than any other hideous Eighties jumper.) And even if it’s all true, why share it in order to make someone else feel small?
‘Remember, you have more enjoyable things to do with your life than ‘compare and contrast’. You could be eating rhubarb crumble or hanging out with nice friends who don’t need to boast.’
In the heartfelt letter, she recounts how she never gave up in her battle to make meringues and that her ‘biggest mistake’ was buying Armani trousers in a series of humorous tales from her life.
The celebrated author also revealed that one of her embarrassing moments was when she left her phone on during filming of Confessions of A Shopaholic.
She wrote: ‘You would think that only a complete and utter idiot would get it wrong. In my defence, I only did this once.
‘On the set of Confessions Of A Shopaholic, Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy were filming a scene and, when a faint bleeping was heard, everybody tutted disapprovingly, including me.
‘I thought my phone was safely silent in my pocket.
The writer and mother-of-five in 2019 gave her offspring some of the life lessons she had learned over the years
Sophie Kinsella was best known for her hit series of Shopaholic novels, starting in 2010
‘Until a production assistant came up and said: “Actually, that was your phone, in your bag.” I thought I might die of shame…’
Telling Sybella to ‘banish wishful thinking’, Sophie added: ‘It’s the source of so many problems in life. If those boots don’t feel right when you are trying them on in the shop, they will give you blisters.
‘If that “friend” spends half her time ignoring you, she’s not a friend. If you hide your credit card bills under the bed, they will not magically pay themselves.’
The loving mother signs off the letter by letting her daughter know ‘that your family will always be there for you, no matter what’, before adding: ‘Lastly, always have Marmite in the house.
‘This doesn’t need saying, really, but just to make sure.’
Sophie’s letter was published three years before she was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2022.
A statement posted to her Instagram account today said she had died ‘peacefully’ following a three-year battle with brain cancer.
The message read: ‘We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy).
‘She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.
‘We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.
‘Despite her illness, which she bore with unimaginable courage, Sophie counted herself truly blessed – to have such wonderful family and friends, and to have had the extraordinary success of her writing career.
‘She took nothing for granted and was forever grateful for the love she received. She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking.’
The author announced in April 2024 she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Isla Fisher starred in the 2009 movie version of Sophie’s Confessions Of A Shopaholic. The author revealed that one of her embarrassing moments was when she left her phone on during filming
She previously paid tribute to the ‘greatest love’ shown her by husband Henry
One of the author’s last public appearances was in October at an event held by the Author’s Lounge raising money for the Brain Tumour Charity
She wrote on Instagram at the time: ‘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”.’
Last year, she wrote What Does It Feel Like – a semi-autobiographical book exploring her battle with cancer.
Her novels have sold more than 45million copies in more than 60 countries, and have been translated into more than 40 languages.
