The late Sophie Kinsella played a crucial role in motivating fellow author Jojo Moyes to complete her acclaimed romance novel, Me Before You. In a heartfelt discussion on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Moyes revealed how Kinsella's encouragement helped her when she was on the verge of giving up after having penned 20,000 words.
This journey led to the creation of an international bestseller that later inspired a film adaptation in 2016, featuring stars Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin.
Kinsella, who was born Madeleine Sophie Wickham, sadly passed away earlier this month at the age of 55 after being diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer in 2022. During her conversation with Lauren Laverne on the show, Moyes recounted her struggles with feelings of depression and uncertainty about her writing career, especially after facing years without significant commercial success.
She shared, "I had lunch with my friend Sophie Kinsella during a particularly tough time; I was financially struggling and felt quite disheartened, believing that my writing career might be over. I opened up to her about my manuscript, which had reached 20,000 words, and she simply looked at me and insisted, 'You have to write this book, you do know that? You have to write this book.'"
Moyes further illustrated Kinsella’s impact on her life by mentioning a follow-up call from Kinsella’s husband, Henry, who urged her to pursue the story as well. "I admire her for many reasons, but this encouragement is certainly one of the most significant," Moyes added.
The Me Before You series centers around Louisa Clark, a working-class woman who becomes a caregiver for Will Traynor, a wealthy man left paraplegic due to a motorcycle accident. The inspiration for this poignant narrative stemmed from a news article Moyes encountered about a young rugby player who, after becoming quadriplegic, persuaded his parents to take him to a clinic in Switzerland that offered assisted dying.
Reflecting on the book's success, Moyes expressed, "I knew I loved this book and believed it was the best version of itself that it could be, yet I had no inkling it would resonate with readers in such a profound manner."
For those interested in hearing the full interview, it is available for listening on BBC Sounds (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002nv35).
