With the novels Fever Pitch (1992), High Fidelity, About a Boy (1998) and How to be Good, which have become world wide best sellers, he won wide recognition and is currently one of the more well-known modern English writers. The novels Fever Pitch , High Fidelity and About a Boy have appealled particularly to men in their thirties and draw on author's life experience. Hornby writes in a very funny and entertaining style, however many observers have noted that his stories also contain a hidden depth, not necessarily appreciated at a first glance. Nick Hornby is the author of the two anthologies called My Favourite Year and Speaking with the Angel.
In 1999 he received the E. M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Art and Letters.
High Fidelity was adapted for a 1999 film and featured John Cusack. His novel About a Boy has recently been adapted for the screen by the makers of Bridget Jones's Diary and features Hugh Grant. The story of the novel deals with the relationship between the grown-up Will, who behaves like a teenager and is only interested in music and going out, and the boy Marcus, who acts like Will actually should. First Will can be seen as very superficial but afterwards he changes with the help of the teenager Marcus into a better and more social person.