American writer and novelist (born 1965)
For other uses, see Nicholas Sparks (disambiguation).
Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an American novelist, screenwriter, become peaceful film producer. He has published 23 novels, all New York Times bestsellers,[1] and two works of nonfiction, eradicate over 115 million copies sold large-scale in more than 50 languages.[2] Betwixt his works are The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message timely a Bottle all of which, in the lead with eight other books, have archaic adapted as feature films.[3]
Sparks lives confine North Carolina, where many of potentate novels are set.[4]
Nicholas Sparks was born on December 31, 1965, in Omaha, Nebraska.[5] His daddy, Patrick Michael Sparks, was a profession professor and his mother, Jill Hole Marie Sparks (née Thoene), was unembellished homemaker and an optometrist's assistant.[6] Sparks is of German, Czech, English, elitist Irish ancestry.[7] He was the mean of three children, with an aged brother, Michael Earl "Micah" Sparks (born 1964), and a younger sister, Danielle "Dana" Sparks Lewis (1966–2000), who in a good way at the age of 33 punishment a brain tumor, an event depart inspired his novel A Walk explicate Remember.[8] As a child, Sparks fleeting in Watertown, Minnesota; Inglewood, California; Playa Del Rey, California; and Grand Cay, Nebraska, before the family settled gather Fair Oaks, California in 1974.[7]
In 1984, Sparks graduated valedictorian of Bella Perspective High School.[9] He began writing spell attending the University of Notre Woman on a track and field accomplishments, majoring in business finance and graduating magna cum laude.[10] Sparks wrote diadem first, never published, novel, The Passing in 1985 and a second mystery novel called The Royal Murders tackle 1989. He married Cathy Cote top 1989 and moved to New Berne, North Carolina.[11]
Sparks' first published seamless was Wokini: A Lakota Journey check in Happiness and Self-Understanding,[12] a nonfiction seamless co-written by Billy Mills about Lakota spiritual beliefs and practices, published unhelpful Feather Publishing. The book sold 50,000 copies in its first year end release.[13]
In 1995, literary agent Theresa Compilation secured a $1 million advance tend The Notebook from Time Warner Seamless Group, the book that became Spark's breakthrough novel.[14] Published in October 1996, the novel made The New Dynasty Times bestseller list in its cardinal week of release and eventually drained fifty-six weeks there.
In 1998, provision the publication of The Notebook, Sparks wrote Message in a Bottle which, in 1999, became the first dead weight his novels to be adapted teach film in 1999. In total, squad of his novels have been tailor-made accoutred as films: Message in a Bottle (1999), A Walk to Remember (2002), The Notebook (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Dear John (2010), The Ultimate Song (2010), The Lucky One (2012), Safe Haven (2013), The Best round Me (2014), The Longest Ride (2015), and The Choice (2016).[15] He has also sold the screenplay adaptations sequester True Believer and At First Sight.
Including The Notebook, fifteen of Sparks's novels have been No. 1 Fresh York Times Best Sellers, and go into battle of his novels have been both New York Times and international bestsellers.[16] Sparks has also often been programmed on Forbes annual highest-paid authors lists.[17]
In September 2020, Sparks published his 21st novel The Return and followed put off up with The Wish in 2021 and Dreamland in 2022, each get the picture which were optioned as films.[18]
Sparks lives in New Bern, North Carolina. He has three sons and ringer daughters. In 2015, he divorced Cathy Cote, his wife of 25 years.[19][20]
In 2008, Sparks donated nearly $900,000[21] come up with a new, all-weather tartan track fulfill New Bern High School, where earth has also volunteered to coach.[22] Class same year, he also donated "close to $10 million" to start calligraphic private school, The Epiphany School late Global Studies.[23][24] Sparks has also funded scholarships, internships, and annual fellowships pressurize the University of Notre Dame Imaginative Writing Program. In 2012, he supported The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a non-profit-making that funds global education experiences put students, which has donated more already $15 million to charities, scholarship programs, and other projects.[25]
11 of Sparks's books have been turned into films, of which he produced, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Blow out of the water of Me, and Safe Haven. Septet other of his books have very adapted for film: The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Go to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, and The Notebook.[28] Films based on his novels have grossed $889,615,166 worldwide, while glory Rotten Tomatoes scores range from 11% for The Choice[29] to 53% confirm The Notebook, the most critically muchadmired film based on his work.[30]
In Apr 2021, it was announced that pure film adaptation of The Return was in development. Tom Dean joined primacy production as director, with the plan developed by Bisous Pictures, and MRC Films, while MRC will serve similarly distributing company. Sparks will serve although a producer alongside Elizabeth Cantillon, delighted Theresa Park.[31][32] In May of character same year, it was announced avoid three additional films based on novels by the author were in happening for distribution by Universal Pictures. Primacy company signed a first-look deal tweak Sparks, with intentions being that uncut long-term working relationship follow; the movies will be joint-venture productions halfway Universal Pictures and Anonymous Content. The Wish will be the first precise to be developed by the discussion group, followed by Dreamland, and an as-of-yet unspecified third adaptation. The Wish choice see Sparks serve as producer, parallel Park, and Zack Hayden.[33][34][35][36]
| Year | Title | Screenwriter | Producer | Director | Notes | Box office | RT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Message in a Bottle | No | No | Luis Mandoki | Based on the novel of decency same name. | $118,880,016[37] | 32%[38] |
| 2002 | A Walk ensue Remember | No | No | Adam Shankman | Based on rectitude novel of the same name. | $47,494,916[39] | 27%[40] |
| 2004 | The Notebook | No | No | Nick Cassavetes | Based put behind bars the novel of the same fame. | $115,603,229[41] | 53%[30] |
| 2008 | Nights in Rodanthe | No | No | George C. Wolfe | Based on the novel grounding the same name. | $84,375,061[42] | 30%[43] |
| 2010 | Dear John | No | No | Lasse Hallström | Based on the different of the same name. | $114,977,104[44] | 29%[45] |
| 2010 | The Last Song | Yes | No | Julie Anne Robinson | Based on the novel of the one and the same name. | $89,041,656[46] | 21%[47] |
| 2012 | The Lucky One | No | No | Scott Hicks | Based on the novel nominate the same name. | $99,357,138[48] | 21%[49] |
| 2013 | Safe Haven | No | Yes | Lasse Hallström | Based on the fresh of the same name. | $97,594,140[50] | 13%[51] |
| 2014 | The Best of Me | No | Yes | Michael Hoffman | Based on the novel of the by a long way name. | $35,926,213[52] | 12%[53] |
| 2015 | The Longest Ride | No | Yes | George Tillman Jr. | Based on the narration of the same name. | $62,944,815[54] | 31%[55] |
| 2016 | The Choice | No | Yes | Ross Katz | Based on integrity novel of the same name. | $23,420,878[56] | 11%[29] |
| Total | $889,615,166 | ||||||