1. Overview
David Alan Nicholls (born 30 November 1966) is a celebrated British novelist and screenwriter. Initially pursuing a career as an actor, Nicholls transitioned to writing, becoming known for creating original television series and adapting various novels, plays, and memoirs for the screen. He is the author of six novels, which frequently explore themes of love and the experience of love across various life stages. His third novel, One Day (2009), became an international bestseller, selling over six million copies worldwide and translated into 40 languages. Its significant success led to both a film adaptation in 2011 and a critically acclaimed Netflix series in 2024, cementing his reputation as a prominent voice in contemporary British fiction and screenwriting.
2. Early Life and Education
David Alan Nicholls was born on 30 November 1966, the middle of three siblings. He attended Barton Peveril College in Eastleigh, Hampshire, from 1983 to 1985. During his time there, he pursued A-levels in Drama, English Literature, Physics, and Biology, and actively participated in college drama productions, taking on a wide range of roles. Notably, Barton Peveril College is also the alma mater of actor Colin Firth, with whom Nicholls later collaborated on the film And When Did You Last See Your Father? In 1988, Nicholls earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and English literature from the University of Bristol. Following his studies in the UK, he further honed his acting skills at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.
3. Acting Career
Throughout his twenties, Nicholls pursued a career as an actor, performing under the stage name David Holdaway. He took on small roles in various theatrical productions, including at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and, for a period of three years, at the Royal National Theatre. Nicholls has openly spoken about his struggles during this period, acknowledging a perceived lack of talent, charisma, and even basic acting skills. A pivotal moment in his career came when a friend introduced him to P. J. Kavanagh's memoir, The Perfect Stranger, which recounts the author's journey of maturation, finding love, and discovering his true calling. This book significantly influenced Nicholls's decision to shift his focus towards writing.
4. Writing Career
David Nicholls has established a significant career as both a novelist and a screenwriter, transitioning from his early acting pursuits to become a celebrated figure in British literature and film. His work spans a range of genres, often exploring themes of love, relationships, and the complexities of human life through compelling narratives.
4.1. Novels
Nicholls is the author of six novels, each exploring themes of love and the experience of love across various life stages. His protagonists range in age, from Douglas, aged 58, in his fourth novel Us (2014), to Charlie, 16, at the beginning of his fifth novel Sweet Sorrow (2019), and Marnie (38) and Michael (42) in his most recent work, You Are Here (2024).
His debut novel, Starter for Ten, was published in 2003. This was followed by The Understudy in 2005.
Nicholls's third novel, One Day, released in 2009, became an international bestseller, selling over six million copies worldwide and being translated into 40 languages. The novel, which chronicles the lives of two characters on the same day each year over two decades, received widespread critical acclaim. Its success led to a film adaptation in 2011, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, for which Nicholls wrote the screenplay. In 2024, a highly successful 14-part Netflix adaptation premiered, reaching the top 10 in 89 countries globally and garnering significant critical praise. One Day (원 데이Won DeiKorean) was also published in South Korea in 2010 and was nominated for various book awards by major newspapers such as The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times.
4.2. Screenwriting
David Nicholls has made substantial contributions to both television and film as a screenwriter. He co-wrote the adapted screenplay for the film Simpatico, released in 2000. In the same year, he contributed four scripts to the third series of the popular British comedy-drama Cold Feet, for which he received a nomination for a British Academy Television Craft Award in the Best New Writer (Fiction) category.
He went on to create the Granada Television pilot and miniseries I Saw You (2000, 2002) and the Tiger Aspect six-part series Rescue Me (2002). Despite Nicholls having written four episodes for a planned second series of Rescue Me, the show was cancelled after only one series. His frustration over this cancellation led him to take a hiatus from screenwriting to focus on writing his novel Starter for Ten.
Upon his return to screenwriting, Nicholls adapted Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing into a one-hour segment for the BBC's 2005 ShakespeaRe-Told season, earning him a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama at the 2006 British Academy Television Awards. In 2005, he wrote Aftersun for the Old Vic's 24-Hour Play festival. This short play, only 10 minutes long, featured a notable cast including James Nesbitt, Saffron Burrows, Catherine Tate, and Gael García Bernal. Nicholls later developed Aftersun into a one-off comedy for BBC One, which aired in 2006 and starred Peter Capaldi and Sarah Parish.
In 2006, his screenplay for the film Starter for Ten, an adaptation of his own novel, was released in cinemas. The film starred James McAvoy and featured the University of Bristol, Nicholls's alma mater, as a key setting. The following year, he penned And When Did You Last See Your Father?, an adaptation of the memoir by Blake Morrison. His adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles for the BBC was broadcast in 2008. He also adapted Great Expectations, with its screenplay being listed on the 2009 Brit List, an annual industry poll recognizing the best unproduced scripts outside the United States. In January 2014, his original two-part drama The 7.39 was broadcast on BBC One.
In 2015, Nicholls wrote the screenplay for Far from the Madding Crowd, the fourth film adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel of the same name, produced by BBC Films. He also worked on the initial script for Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), though his contribution was uncredited due to subsequent rewrites. In 2018, Nicholls wrote Patrick Melrose, a five-part television series based on Edward St Aubyn's acclaimed novels. For his work on Patrick Melrose, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special.
5. Personal Life
David Nicholls resides in Highbury, north London, with his partner of more than 25 years, Hannah Weaver, who works as a script editor. In August 2024, Nicholls was a featured guest on the renowned BBC Radio 4 programme, Desert Island Discs.
6. Awards and Honours
David Nicholls has received numerous accolades and recognitions throughout his career, celebrating his significant contributions to both literature and screenwriting.
6.1. Literary Awards
- 2010: Galaxy Book of the Year Award, winner for One Day
- 2014: Specsavers National Book Awards for UK Author of the Year, winner for Us
- 2014: Man Booker Prize, longlisted for Us
- 2024: Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize, shortlisted for You Are Here
6.2. Honours
- 2015: Honorary DLitt from the University of Edinburgh
- 2016: Honorary DLitt from the University of Bristol
7. Bibliography
- Starter for Ten (2003)
- The Understudy (2005)
- One Day (2009)
- Us (2014)
- Sweet Sorrow (2019)
- You Are Here (2024)