Madeleine Wickham
Encyclopedia
Madeleine Wickham is an English
author
of chick lit
who is most known for her work under the pen name Sophie Kinsella.
. She studied music at New College
, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). Wickham worked as a financial
journalist
(including for Pensions World) before turning to fiction
.
While working as a financial journalist, at the age of 24, she wrote her first novel. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.
Her first novel under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella (taken from her middle name and her mother's maiden name) was submitted to her existing publishers anonymously and was enthusiastically received. She revealed her real identity for the first time when Can You Keep a Secret? was published in December 2005.
Sophie Kinsella is best known for writing the Shopaholic novels series of chick lit
novels, which focus on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood
, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The series focuses on her obsession with shopping
and its resulting complications for her life. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into a film
and released in February 2009, with Isla Fisher
playing an American Becky and Hugh Dancy
as Luke Brandon.
Twenties Girl, which was released in the UK in July 2009 was also published under the name Sophie Kinsella. The latest addition to the Shopaholic series, Mini Shopaholic
, came out in September 2010.
with her husband, Henry Wickham (whom she met in Oxford), the headmaster of a boys' preparatory school. They have been married for 17 years and have four sons, Freddy (b.1997), Hugo (b.1999), Oscar (b.2006), and Rex William (b. April 15th, 2010). She is the sister of fellow writer, Gemma Townley.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of chick lit
Chick lit
Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sold well during the 1990s and 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit...
who is most known for her work under the pen name Sophie Kinsella.
Career
Madeline Wickham was born in London. She did her schooling in Putney High SchoolPutney High School
Putney High School is an independent all-girls school in Putney, London. It is run by the Girls' Day School Trust, a union of 26 schools with 19,500 students and 3,500 staff.-Location and information:...
. She studied music at New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). Wickham worked as a financial
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
(including for Pensions World) before turning to fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
.
While working as a financial journalist, at the age of 24, she wrote her first novel. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.
Her first novel under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella (taken from her middle name and her mother's maiden name) was submitted to her existing publishers anonymously and was enthusiastically received. She revealed her real identity for the first time when Can You Keep a Secret? was published in December 2005.
Sophie Kinsella is best known for writing the Shopaholic novels series of chick lit
Chick lit
Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sold well during the 1990s and 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit...
novels, which focus on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood
Becky Bloomwood
Rebecca Jane 'Becky' Brandon is a fictional character and the main protagonist from the Shopaholic series of novels by British author, Sophie Kinsella.-Personal life:...
, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The series focuses on her obsession with shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
and its resulting complications for her life. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into a film
Confessions of a Shopaholic (film)
Confessions of a Shopaholic is a 2009 American romantic comedy film based on the Shopaholic series of novels by Sophie Kinsella. Directed by P. J. Hogan, the film stars Isla Fisher as the shopaholic journalist and Hugh Dancy as her boss.-Plot:...
and released in February 2009, with Isla Fisher
Isla Fisher
Isla Lang Fisher is an actress and author. She began acting on Australian television, on the short-lived soap opera Paradise Beach before playing Shannon Reed on the soap opera Home and Away...
playing an American Becky and Hugh Dancy
Hugh Dancy
- Early life and career :Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of British philosopher Jonathan Dancy, a professor at the University of Reading and at the University of Texas at Austin. His mother, Sarah, is a publisher. His brother, Jack, is a co-director of the travel company, Trufflepig...
as Luke Brandon.
Twenties Girl, which was released in the UK in July 2009 was also published under the name Sophie Kinsella. The latest addition to the Shopaholic series, Mini Shopaholic
Mini Shopaholic
Mini Shopaholic is the sixth book of the series Shopaholic from Sophie Kinsella.- Plot :The book Mini Shopaholic is about Becky Bloomwood, who, along with her husband Luke, wants to buy a home of their own and not live with Becky's parents anymore. Their daughter, Minnie, was banned from four...
, came out in September 2010.
Personal life
Wickham lives in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with her husband, Henry Wickham (whom she met in Oxford), the headmaster of a boys' preparatory school. They have been married for 17 years and have four sons, Freddy (b.1997), Hugo (b.1999), Oscar (b.2006), and Rex William (b. April 15th, 2010). She is the sister of fellow writer, Gemma Townley.
As Sophie Kinsella
The Shopaholic Series| n° | Book Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic is the first in the popular Shopaholic series. It is a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella, a pen-name of Madeline Wickham... (also titled Confessions of a Shopaholic) |
2000 |
| 2 | Shopaholic Abroad Shopaholic Abroad "Shopaholic Abroad" is the second in the popular 'Shopaholic' series. It is a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella, a psyeudonym of Madeline Wickham. It follows the story of Becky Bloomwood and her adventures when she's offered the chance to work in New York.- Plot synopsis :Life looks good for... (also titled Shopaholic Takes Manhattan) |
2001 |
| 3 | Shopaholic Ties The Knot Shopaholic Ties The Knot Shopaholic Ties the Knot is the third in the popular 'Shopaholic' series. It is a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella, a pseudonym of Madeline Wickham... |
2001 |
| 4 | Shopaholic & Sister Shopaholic & Sister Shopaholic and Sister is a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella, a pseudonym of Madeline Wickham. It is the fourth book in the Shopaholic series... |
2004 |
| 5 | Shopaholic & Baby Shopaholic & Baby Shopaholic and Baby is the fifth novel in the popular 'Shopaholic' series. It is a chick-lit novel by Sophie Kinsella, a pseudonym of Madeline Wickham... |
2007 |
| 6 | Mini Shopaholic Mini Shopaholic Mini Shopaholic is the sixth book of the series Shopaholic from Sophie Kinsella.- Plot :The book Mini Shopaholic is about Becky Bloomwood, who, along with her husband Luke, wants to buy a home of their own and not live with Becky's parents anymore. Their daughter, Minnie, was banned from four... |
2010 |
Standalone novels
- Can You Keep a Secret?Can You Keep a Secret? (novel)Can You Keep a Secret? is author Sophie Kinsella's first "stand-alone" novel, published by Dial Press Trade Paperback on March 1, 2005 in the United Kingdom.-Plot:Emma Corrigan is a young woman in London, England...
(2005) - The Undomestic GoddessThe Undomestic Goddess (novel)Sophie Kinsellas second "stand-alone" book The Undomestic Goddess was published by Dial Press Trade Paperback on April 2006 .-Plot:Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable...
(2006) - Remember Me?Remember Me? (novel)Remember Me? is a successful novel by the author Madeleine Wickham under the pseudonym Sophie Kinsella which tells the story of Lexi Smart who is forced to piece her life together after losing the last three years of her life due to the effects of amnesia, the result of a car crash.-External...
(2008) - Twenties GirlTwenties GirlTwenties Girl is a 2009 book by Sophie Kinsella . Her fourth "stand-alone" book, it was published by Bantam Press.-Plot:...
(2009) - I've Got Your Number (2012)
Other
- Girls Night InGirls Night InOriginally started in the UK, the Girls Night In collections gather together hip fiction for the twenty- and thirtysomething sets. The U.S. version collects 21 stories from such popular chick-lit authors as Meg Cabot, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Isabel Wolff, Anna Maxted, and Lisa Jewell...
(2004) (An omnibus of novels, along with many authors including Meg CabotMeg CabotMeg Cabot is anAmerican author of romantic and paranormal fiction for teens and adults and used to write under several pen names, but now writes exclusively under her real name, Meg Cabot...
and Jennifer WeinerJennifer WeinerJennifer Weiner is a Jewish American writer, television producer, and former journalist. She is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Background and career:...
)
As Madeleine Wickham
- The Tennis Party (1995)
- A Desirable Residence (1996)
- Swimming Pool Sunday (1997)
- The Gatecrasher (1998)
- The Wedding Girl (1999)
- Cocktails for Three (2000)
- Sleeping Arrangements (2001)