“That is another chamber of my heart that shows no electrical activity - the chamber that used to flicker into life when I saw a film that moved me, or read a book that inspired me, or listened to music that made me want to cry. I closed that chamber myself, for all the usual reasons. And now I seem to have made a pact with some philistine devil: if I don't attempt to re-open it, I will be allowed just enough energy and optimism to get through a working day without wanting to hang myself.”

English writer

Nick Hornby is an English writer. He is best known for the memoir Fever Pitch and the novels High Fidelity and About a Boy, all three of which were adapted into feature films. His work often returns to music, sport, and the restless or obsessive lives of his characters. His books had sold more than 5 million copies worldwide by 2018. In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the 29th most influential person in British culture, and he received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for An Education and Brooklyn.