Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist, columnist, and screenwriter who draws inspiration from pop culture, music, and sports in his writing. He is the author of several well-known books that were later adapted into films, including ‘About a Boy,’ ‘High Fidelity,’ and ‘Fever Pitch.’ Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, John Cusack, and other well-known American actors have appeared in films based on his works. He was born in Surrey and raised in Maidenhead, where he completed his education. His parents split when he was 11 years old, and his father, a well-known businessman, instilled in him a passion for football, turning him into an enthusiastic Arsenal supporter. ‘Fever Pitch,’ his debut memoir, was about his obsessive love for Arsenal since he was a boy. Hornby is also a well-known screenwriter, having written the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated picture ‘An Education.’
Childhood and Adolescence
Nick Hornby was born in Redhill, Surrey, England, on April 17, 1957. Sir Derek Hornby, his father, was a well-known businessman. He spent much of his childhood in Maidenhead and attended Maidenhead Grammar School. He was a student at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he majored in English literature.
Hornby’s parents split when he was only 11 years old. His father began taking him to football games while he was in his teens, and he became a passionate supporter of Arsenal, a Premier League club based in North London. He continues to refer to himself as a devoted and irrational supporter of the squad.
He was an avid reader when he was younger and could usually be seen engrossed in a book. Hornby was a voracious reader, whether it was comic books or Lorrie Moore’s novels. This habit led him to Cambridge, where he earned a degree in Literature and authored stage plays, screenplays, and radio dramas.
Nick Hornby’s Career
Hornby worked a variety of occupations to support himself after graduating from Cambridge University, all of which were related to his interest and talent in English literature. He began by teaching at a primary school, then went on to teach language classes and host Samsung executives visiting England.
Soon after, he was hired as a paid journalist and began writing a pop culture column for the Independent. He also contributed sports journalism to periodicals such as Esquire and the Sunday Times. His debut book, ‘Contemporary American Fiction,’ was published in 1992. It was a collection of writings about American academics such as Tobias Wolff, Ann Beattie, and others.
In the year 1992, he published his first memoir about his early years as a devoted and ardent Arsenal fan. It’s known as ‘Fever Pitch.’ This book was a personal autobiographical description of his insane love for Arsenal, and it was converted into a British film first, then an American film in 2005. The book received numerous accolades and continued to sell long after its first release.
Hornby’s first novella, ‘High Fidelity,’ was published in 1995. The book was a hit, and it was hailed as a lovely story of a record store owner whose sole passion is pop music. It’s a cheerful story that’s also politically incorrect. In 2000, the book was converted into a film starring John Cusack, and in 2005, it was turned into a Broadway musical.
His second work, ‘About a Boy,’ was published in 1998. He added that contacts he had as a grade-school teacher prompted him to write this story because of the “badly behaved adolescents, especially the girls.” The plot centers around an unusual friendship between Will, a wealthy and immature bachelor, and Marcus, a troubled preadolescent.
Hornby published ‘How to Be Good’ in 2001. His novel this time featured a female heroine who learns and ponders modern-day ethics, the sanctity of the age-old institution of marriage, and the obligations of parenthood. In the year 2002, it received the W.H. Smith Award for Fiction.
He released ‘Speaking with the Angel’ in 2002. It was a collection of short stories curated by Hornby and authored by him and his pals. In this anthology, twelve of Hornby’s pals and well-known authors contributed pieces, including Hornby’s ‘NippleJesus.’ The book was written to raise money for ‘TreeHouse,’ a London-based charity school for autistic children. Hornby’s son attended the same school as him.
’31 Songs,’ a collection of Hornby’s writings, was published in 2003. In the United States, it was also known as ‘Songbook.’ The focus of the book was on providing detailed explanations for a variety of well-known songs, as well as their emotional value. It included essays on well-known songs such as “Nelly Furtado’s I’m Like a Bird,” “Led Zeppelin’s Heartbreaker,” and others. Hornby was awarded the London Award 2003 by his fellow British writers the same year.
Hornby authored a book review column for the journal ‘The Believer’ in 2003. His book ‘A Long Way Down was published in 2005, and he also edited anthologies called ‘My Favorite Year’ and ‘The Picador Book of Sports Writing’ in the same year. He published publications like ‘The Polysyllabic Spree,’ ‘Housekeeping vs. The Dirt,’ ‘Shakespeare Wrote for Money,’ and ‘More Baths Less Talking’ in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2012.
Hornby experimented with something new in 2007, writing a novel for young adult readers. It was a book called ‘Slam,’ about a teenage lad whose life is turned upside down after he accidentally impregnates his fiancée. In 2008, the ALA Best Books for Young Adults Award was given to the book.
His work ‘Juliet, Naked’ was published in 2009. It’s the story of a bashful 1980s rock singer who is impelled to re-release his legendary album, which brings him face to face with his most devoted admirers. It’s on The Guardian’s list of “What Not to Miss in 2009: Books.” He authored the screenplay for the film ‘An Education’ in the same year, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
His Personal Experiences
Hornby has a son with his first wife, who was born in 1992. He is autistic and attends TreeHouse, a London school for autistic children that he and his wife founded.
He married Amanda Posey, a film producer, for the second time. They have two kids, born in 2003 and 2005, respectively.
Hornby’s works have been adapted into well-known Hollywood films starring Colin Firth, John Cusack, Hugh Grant, Jimmy Fallon, Drew Barrymore, and others.
Johnny Depp, a well-known American actor, bought the film rights to his book ‘A Long Way Down’ before it was even released.
He spoke to the media about his episodes of depression in 2012 on BBC Radio 4.
Hornby won the E.M. Forster Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for his novel ‘About a Boy.’
Estimated Net Worth
Nick Hornby has a net worth of $22 million USD. He is an English novelist and screenwriter. Nick Hornby was born in April 1957 in Redhill, Surrey, England. His books High Fidelity, Fever Pitch, and About a Boy are probably his most well-known works. All three of these books were later adapted into films.