Best-selling author Sophie Kinsella may be most known for her widely popular Shopaholic series, but she has many other tales to tell — and that is why she recently released her first young adult novel, “Finding Audrey.”
The 304-page hardcover, published in June by Delacorte Press, tells the story of a 14-year-old girl suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder who becomes a virtual prisoner in her own home after being bullied at school. Audrey’s family and, especially, her brother’s friend Linus help with her path to recovery. “Audrey is [a] brave, charming and resourceful girl, and I hope she will inspire you as much as she has inspired me,” said Kinsella on her website. “I always fall in love with my heroines, but with Audrey I feel a special protective fondness, too.”
Did you always want to be an author?
Stories were always a big part of my life growing up, but I didn’t really imagine being an author, maybe because I did so much music as a child and that’s where the emphasis lay. It was in my early 20s that I realized how much I loved words and stories.
Your real name is Madeleine Wickham. Where did the name Sophie Kinsella come from?
I originally wrote novels under my real name, but when I came up with the idea for Shopaholic, I knew it was something completely different. I wanted it to be judged on its merits, so my agent submitted it to my publisher as Sophie Kinsella. I was so nervous!
Do you enjoy being called Sophie by fans? Do you ever correct them?
No, I don’t correct them — I do feel like “Sophie.” I think it’s been nice to separate my public and private selves with two different names. It releases a little bit of the pressure on my everyday life.
For more on Sophie Kinsella, visit her official website.
