Nick Hornby lives in Highbury, North London. But to suggest that he just lives there would be a bit of a understatement. He lives, works and breathes Highbury and North London. It's essential to him and his work, work that's usually highly personal and filled with a childish enthusiasm and passion for music, books and sport that spills well over into adulthood, whether it's his own or his characters. 

 

His first book, Fever Pitch (1992), the story of his fanatic support for Arsenal F.C., catapulted him to instant notoriety and established his motif of a sympathetic main character whose trials and tribulations everyone can relate to. His essays for The Believer documented his love of books, while High Fidelity (1995) shared his intense love (and knowledge) of music with the world. 

 

But it's his lesser known book Songbook / 31 Songs that really makes him an ideal author for Booktunes. These 31 short essays on, yes, 31 songs, serve as a soundtrack to his own life as he leads us through what they reveal about him and his relationship with music. It's an enduring relationship that's continued in his latest book, Juliet, Naked - also featured on Booktunes.

 

 

 

text by E. de Loor / translation by W. Georgi / drawing by Ytje