Confessions of a Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella, 54, says she is undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer

Author Sophie Kinsella has announced she is undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer. 

The 54-year-old Confessions of a Shopaholic writer shared the devastating news in a post on X.

'To my dear readers and followers, 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,' the mother of five wrote today. 

Kinsella, whose real name is Madeleine Sophie Wickham, then posted a statement outlining her condition. 

'At the end of 2022, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer,' it read. 

The 54-year-old Confessions of a Shopaholic writer shared the devastating news of her cancer diagnosis in a post on X

Kinsella, whose real name is Madeleine Sophie Wickham, posted a statement outlining her condition

'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'.'

The Londoner, who is married to Henry Wickham, a teacher, said was being treated by 'the excellent team at University College Hospital' and had  undergone 'successful surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is still ongoing'.

'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 wrote. 

'I am so grateful to my family and close friends who have been an incredible support to me, and to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me. 

'I am also so grateful to my readers for your constant support. The wonderful response to The Burnout has really buoyed me up, during a difficult time.' 

Kinsella ended her statement with a message to other cancer patients.  

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.' 

The Londoner, who is married to Henry Wickham, a teacher, said was being treated by 'the excellent team at University College Hospital'

Finally, she added: 'I'll be in touch soon, and in the meantime, greetings from sunny London.' 

Kinsella's best-selling Shopaholic series was adapted into 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, which tells the story of a compulsive shopper who, ironically, works as an advice columnist for a financial magazine. 

She was educated at Putney High School and Sherborne School for Girls before a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at New College, Oxford. 

She started off as a financial journalist before turning to fiction, and her books have sold 40million copies in more than 60 countries.

Her other books include 2003's Can You Keep a Secret? and The Party Crasher, which was published in 2021.

Her latest, The Burnout, is a romantic comedy about a woman who goes to recuperate from burnout at the Devon beach resort she loved as a child.

Kinsella's best-selling Shopaholic series was adapted into 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, which tells the story of a compulsive shopper who, ironically, works as an advice columnist for a financial magazine