Sophie Kinsella and the Custom-Built Shoe Cupboard

Posted on September 12, 2005

Pamela Sitt of The Seattle Times interviews author Sophie Kinsella, author of The Undomestic Goddess (Dial). Kinsella, who hit the big time with her "Shopaholic" series, discusses how surprised she was that the books were so popular. A financial journalist before she started writing fiction, Kinsella lives in London. She says she was amazed by the success of her Shopaholic novels.

I was amazed. Somehow it resonates with people all over the world. I find that bewildering, I really do. I get so many people telling me they are Becky Bloomwood, including men -- often in pairs, it has to be said -- well-dressed men in Italy or Paris. There was one girl who said to me, "I know I won't enjoy your book; I'm not into fashion." And then she [read it and] said, "Oh, my God, I'm just like that with craft materials!" Everyone has their own soft spots.

Not surprisingly, Sophie's soft spot is for shoes. She rhapsodizes:

"Shoes, always shoes. I have a whole cupboard that was custom-built for them. Somehow I feel, with shoes, oh, I'll be able to wear them for 10 years, so they're an investment. They're so easy, you just pop them on your feet and there they are. You don't even have to go in a dressing room."

An entire cupboard that was custom-built for her shoes? Someone should really do a follow up interview: we need more details. How big is this cupboard? How is it arranged? What color is it? And, most importantly, how many shoes does it hold??