Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella is best known for her chick lit "Shopaholic" books. Her new YA novel is Finding Audrey. From the author's Q & A with Guardian site member Wanderer378:

In Finding Audrey, Audrey has to make a documentary for Dr Sarah. If you made a documentary about your life, what would it contain?

It would feature a lot of scenes where I sit in coffee shops, apparently doing nothing at all, oblivious of anything else, then scribble down some dialogue. It would also have lots of scenes of me racing around the house looking for my keys!

Are your characters inspired by anyone you meet in real life?

I think I’d be lying if I said I’d completely made up the Turner family! All authors take inspiration from the people who are around them – even sitting in coffee shops you overhear things you want to put in your novels. Strangers, your family, your friends and you end up in your characters – there’s a characteristic in Audrey’s mum, Anne – a desire to keep her family together - that I definitely share with her.

In Finding Audrey, or any other of your books, which character do you mostly connect with?

Well, in Finding Audrey, I was surprised to find...[read on]

See: Sophie Kinsella's six best books.

--Marshal Zeringue