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about the author
Books such as Fever Pitch, High Fidelity and About a Boy brought an emotional resonance to male themes in fiction and as a result Nick Hornby has been cited as the inventor of 'lad lit'. However, he surprised everyone in his most recent novel How to Be Good by presenting the narrative from a female perspective. The character of Katie Carr was so authentic that the novel was longlisted for the ManBooker Prize for fiction. In his most recent book 31 Songs Nick Hornby gives us a personal selection of essays on songs that he either loves or has loved and what comes across is Nick's love of music but also, in talking about how these songs have affected his life, we learn much about Nick Hornby himself.
your questions answered
1. Was it difficult to narrow down your list of songs to 31? What would have been song number 32 and why? Fiona Cullinane, Glasgow
It really wasn't hard, because I limited myself to songs about which I had something to say - and, more importantly, something that I hadn't read elsewhere. This cut out a huge number of songs, because a lot of my other favourites are everyone else's favourites, and have therefore been written about extensively. I just kept going until I ran out of steam.
I wish I'd written something about a piece of African music, maybe something by Youssou N'Dour. I hate the current attitude that you have to be a sandal-wearing nudist to listen to "world" music!
2. I loved Hugh Grant in About a Boy. Are there any plans to make How to be Good into a film and if so who would you want to play Katie? Geraldine Plimbley, Kilbarchan
Various people have approached me about a film, but nothing's happened yet, for various reasons. All things being equal - ie, if producers weren't so worried about casting big names in order to ensure decent box-office returns -- I'd cast John Cusack's sister Joan. I think she's fantastic, and has never been given a lead in a film.
3. What do you think of the BBC's Big Read? There are a lot of children's books on the list. Who were your favourite childhood authors and do you read them to your son? Lindsay Moyes, London
I think the Big Read is a Good Thing, in that it encourages people back towards good books. But it's slightly worrying that there were so many children's authors in the list. I'm hoping it's because a lot of schools skewed the vote, rather than because a lot of adults haven't read a book since they were kids...
I used to like anyone who'd written millions of books that were exactly the same: the Mary Poppins series, Captain W E Johns, Richmael Crompton, the Jennings and Derbyshire books...I found it immensely comforting to re-enter the same world again and again.
4. I want to ask you how do you make your stories so humorous. Are there any rules to keep in mind? Do the puns and humorous situations just come to you, or do you have to sit and wait for two weeks for one joke to come to you? How do you decide if a situation is humorous or not? Can you make any situation into a humorous one? Is it hard work to be funny, or is it a gift?
Ester Bevers, Netherlands
I don't usually wait long for a joke - if they don't come immediately, they usually don't come at all. The comic situations take a little longer, obviously. I do believe that any situation can be comic - or rather, even the most difficult or tragic situation can give rise to jokes. It's not always appropriate to make them, though - appropriate in life, or appropriate to the book. The things that are hard work are a) phrasing the comedy so that you can get the most out of it and b) self-editing humour.But I'm glad you find them funny. I can't imagine writing a book that didn't have some humour in it.
5. I was impressed by HOW TO BE GOOD and was pleased that it was on the longlist for last year's Booker Prize. What did you think of this years list and who did you want to win? Michelle Duffy, London
I was happy that Vernon God Little won - recognition of a comic voice, and a voice that is articulate in a different way, a way too infrequently recognised as literary. I was sorry about Monica Ali, though, which seems to me to have been the novel of the year, if not the Booker novel of the year.
6. Could you recommend two books (that are in paperback) for readers groups?
The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay by Michael Chabon - two of my favourite novels of the last ten years, and not well-known enough in the UK.
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