Sophie Kinsella was a bestselling author with more than 35 titles to her name before her death in December — but her favorite accolade was being a wife and mother.
“In principal, I’d always liked the idea of a big family. But I couldn’t have had five close together,” Kinsella told the Irish Independent in February 2012 after welcoming her fifth baby, a girl. “It’s been more of a case of realising that our first two, who are close in age, were growing up really quickly and so there was a bit of, ‘Are we done with being parents? No, we’re not’ involved.”
Kinsella, who became a household name after writing Confessions of a Shopaholic in 2000, welcomed four boys and one girl with her husband, Henry Wickham, after they tied the knot in 1991.
Kinsella kept her home life out of the spotlight as much as possible, but when she began battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in late 2022, her family was beside her side.
The family announced on Wednesday, December 10, that Kinsella died at the age of 55.
“She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy,” her loved ones wrote via Instagram.
Scroll down to meet Kinsella’s family:
Henry Wickham
Kinsella met her husband, Henry Wickham, on her first night at Oxford University where she studied economics. The pair tied the knot in 1991 after graduating from college when Kinsella was just 21 years old.
Kinsella and Wickham also worked together. Wickham became his wife’s literary manager in October 2013 after being the owner and principal of Elmhurst School for Boys, according to LinkedIn.
“My husband is such a teammate, both in parenting and in my writing,” Kinsella told Glamour in October 2021. “He completely gets my sense of humor and really enjoys talking plot.”
The couple would often bounce book ideas off each other after their kids were asleep. “Maybe that’s the reason we’ve been married so long,” Kinsella told the outlet. “I’m constantly writing books as though I’m in the throes of an early romance.”
Freddy Wickham
The pair welcomed their eldest son, Freddy, in 1996. After studying music at Oxford University, Freddy became the assistant director of music at Epsom College, according to his website. “I am a music teacher who thinks pastiche compositions are interesting exercises. Apparently other people find them interesting too! What luck,” his bio reads.
Freddy describes himself as a musical comedian whose YouTube page combines both of his passions. He is also one half of the music duo Wunk with his younger brother Hugo.
Hugo Wickham
Hugo is Kinsella and Wickham’s second born son. He arrived in 1999. Hugo graduated from University of Exeter in 2020 and currently works for JB Draxe Honore as a data scientist.
He also has a passion for music, playing with the folk group Grand Canoe and performing alongside his brother, Freddy, as one half of the band Wunk. Hugo plays the banjo, saxophone and sings, according to the band’s Instagram page.
“Musicality, restraint, blending. The three demons you must slay to succeed as a bass,” Hugo’s Instagram bio reads with a link to his soundcloud page.
Oscar Wickham
Kinsella and Wickham’s third son, Oscar, was born in 2006. While his Instagram page is private, Oscar’s LinkedIn page revealed he is currently studying mathematics at University of Cambridge. He is also a choral scholar in the Trinity College choir, per his profile.
Rex Wickham
The couple welcomed their fourth son, Rex, in April 2010. “We are all besotted,” Kinsella wrote on her website at the time via People. “Thank you so much for all the good wishes you sent me and I’ll see you again soon.”
Sybella Wickham
Kinsella and Wickham’s youngest child and only daughter, Sybella, was born in December 2011.
“When I was told it was a girl, I either got the reaction of, ‘How lovely, friend for life, you can go shopping’, or those who said, ‘You don’t know what you’re in for,’” Kinsella recalled to the Irish Independent in February 2012 after welcoming her baby girl after having four boys. “It’s a challenge, but bring it on.”
Over the years, Kinsella kept most of her personal life off social media, but did share a few photos from the back of her and Sybella doing girlie activities. She shared pictures of the mother-daughter duo wearing matching bathing suits by the pool, running into the ocean side by side and more.
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