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David Nicholls

David Nicholls is an English novelist and screenwriter. His debut book, Starter for 10, was made into a feature film starring James McAvoy and Rebecca Hall. Other credits include Cold Feet and the recent TV adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. His new novel, One Day, is published in the summer

April 2024

  • Author David Nicholls walking in the Lake District in March 2024

    ‘Thirsty, wet, desolate. The dream’: One Day author David Nicholls on the peculiar pleasure of long, soggy solo walks

    The bestselling author has always hated being on his own, so why does he spend a few days every year hiking alone in the wind and rain? Just don’t call it a midlife crisis …

June 2023

  • David Nicholls, Sara Collins, Richard Osman, Zadie Smith, Mick Herron, Maggie O'Farrell

    Summer books: Zadie Smith, Ian Rankin, Richard Osman and others pick their favourites

    Leading authors recommend the best recent books, from a forbidden love affair at the Western Front to a murder mystery set in Egypt

February 2023

  • Love match: David Nicholls, Monica Heisey, Mike Gayle, Curtis Sittenfeld, Stanley Tucci and Ore Agbaje Williams pick their favourite romance novels

    ‘You can read it in the time it takes to have a one night stand’: authors on their favourite romcom books

    Stanley Tucci, Jenny Colgan, David Nicholls and others reflect on their favourite romantic comedies, including Heartburn, A Room With a View and The Spanish Love Deception

June 2022

  • Ali Smith, Colm Tóibín, Bernardine Evaristo, Pankaj Mishra, Hilary Mantel and Ian Rankin

    Summer books: Bernardine Evaristo, Hilary Mantel, David Nicholls and more pick their favourites

    Authors recommend their favourite recent reads, from addictive novels and fascinating cultural history to a game-changing graphic memoir

July 2021

  • Natalia, Springfield Park, E5 by Sophia Spring.

    Parklife: the year we fell in love with London’s green spaces

    Sophia Spring’s photographs celebrate how London’s many parks became a lifeline for locals during the pandemic, writes novelist David Nicholls

June 2021

  • six authors composite - top - Hilary Mantel, Bernardine Evaristo, Torrey Peters. bottom - Ian Rankin, Yuval Noah Harari, Richard Osman

    Summer books: Bernardine Evaristo, Hilary Mantel, Richard Osman and more on what they’re reading

    Authors share the books they have enjoyed reading this year, including a hilarious dark comedy, poetry and a study of mystery illnesses

March 2021

  • Illustration of a wide screen with popular TV shows on it

    ‘I watched all 260 episodes’: Kathy Burke, Russell T Davies and others on their comfort TV

    Which shows got you through lockdown? For Joe Lycett it was Celebrity Big Brother, while Diane Abbott escaped with A Place In The Sun (often twice a day)

February 2021

  • David Nicholls.

    David Nicholls on One Day: 'I wanted to write an epic love story'

    The bestselling novel was initially inspired by Nicholls studying Tess of the D’Urbervilles as a teenager – but he didn’t begin writing about Emma and Dexter for another 20 years

December 2017

  • Fairy godmother type handing a youngster a book in a fairy woodland setting

    'If only I'd been warned!' - writers choose books to give to their younger selves

    Julian Barnes, Margaret Drabble, Tessa Hadley, David Nicholls and others choose reading matter that would have been useful when young

April 2017

  • Adrian Mole

    David Nicholls: Adrian Mole and me at 50

    Nicholls, the same age as Sue Townsend’s character, fondly remembers the humour and shared anxieties

May 2015

  • ‘Sally is direct, optimistic and gregarious – a startling contrast to the rather sceptical and doomy

    Rereading
    David Nicholls: the book that saved me

  • Illo for Review 23 May 2015

    David Nicholls: Google v old-fashioned legwork - how to research a novel

April 2015

  • Bertrand Ballas

    Home rule: news from the Milan Furniture Fair

    From veneer lights to burlesque seats and doors within doors, this year’s Milan Furniture Fair was a mix of ambition and nostalgia. Here, David Nicholls, features director of House & Garden, picks his highlights

November 2012

  • Great Expectations

    David Nicholls: Adapting Great Expectations for the screen

    David Nicholls, author of the hit novel One Day, has always loved Dickens's novel. As the film version is about to be released, he reveals how he set about his adaptation

November 2011

  • David Nicholls

    Book club
    One Day by David Nicholls

    Week three: The author explains how Tess of the d'Urbervilles provided the secret inspiration for his novel

January 2011

  • David Nicolls Egypt

    Egypt: A short-haul family adventure

    Cairo is just a five-hour flight from London. One Day author David Nicholls finds that it's a surprisingly successful choice for a family holiday

October 2010

  • Once there was a boy: Commentary by David Nicholls

    'Seen together, the pictures invite a narrative. Smiles come and go, allegiances change, weight is gained and lost'

July 2010

  • Lulworth Durdle Door

    The insider's guide to August: our tips for fun in the sun

    School's out, so let our guest experts help you make the most of the British summer. Here's what to watch, what to listen to, what to read, how to picnic to perfection, and how to find the best beaches

April 2010

  • Billy Wilder

    My hero
    My hero Billy Wilder, by David Nicholls

    'It's the sweet, sour quality that I love in Wilder's movies'

February 2009

  • Universally unchallenged

    David Nicholls

    David Nicholls: On University Challenge final night, instead of sniping at her, we should celebrate Gail Trimble's passion for esoteric knowledge

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