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American writer and novelist
A.K.A.
Nicholas Charles Sparks
Gender
Male
Religion(s):
Place of birth
Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA
Age
58 years
Education
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, St. Joseph County, USA
Bella Vista High School
Fair Oaks, Sacramento County, USA
Genre(s):
The details (from wikipedia)

Biography

Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has published twenty-three novels, all New York Times bestsellers, and two works of non-fiction, with over 115 million copies sold worldwide in more than 50 languages. Among his works are The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Message in a Bottle which, along with eight other books, have been adapted as feature films.

Sparks lives in North Carolina, where many of his novels are set.

Early life and education

Nicholas Sparks was born on December 31, 1965, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Patrick Michael Sparks, was a business professor and his mother Jill Emma Marie Sparks (née Thoene) was a homemaker and an optometrist's assistant. Sparks is of German, Czech, English, and Irish ancestry. He was the middle of three children, with an older brother, Michael Earl "Micah" Sparks (born 1964), and a younger sister, Danielle "Dana" Sparks Lewis (1966–2000), who died at the age of 33 from a brain tumor, an event that inspired his novel A Walk to Remember. As a child, Sparks lived in Watertown, Minnesota; Inglewood, California; Playa Del Rey, California; and Grand Island, Nebraska, before the family settled in Fair Oaks, California in 1974.

In 1984, Sparks graduated valedictorian of Bella Vista High School. He began writing while attending the University of Notre Dame on a track and field scholarship, majoring in business finance and graduating magna cum laude. Sparks wrote his first, never published, novel, The Passing in 1985 and a second unpublished novel called The Royal Murders in 1989. He married Cathy Cote in 1989 and moved to New Bern, North Carolina.

Literary career

Sparks' first published book was Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding, a nonfiction book co-written by Billy Mills about Lakota spiritual beliefs and practices, published by Feather Publishing. The book sold 50,000 copies in its first year after release.

In 1995, literary agent Theresa Park secured a $1 million advance for The Notebook from Time Warner Book Group, the book that became Spark's breakthrough novel. Published in October 1996, the novel made The New York Times best-seller list in its first week of release and eventually spent fifty-six weeks there.

In 1998, after the publication of The Notebook, Sparks wrote Message in a Bottle which, in 1999, became the first of his novels to be adapted for film in 1999. In total, eleven of his novels have been adapted as films: Message in a Bottle (1999), A Walk to Remember (2002), The Notebook (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Dear John (2010), The Last Song (2010), The Lucky One (2012), Safe Haven (2013), The Best of Me (2014), The Longest Ride (2015), and The Choice (2016). He has also sold the screenplay adaptations of True Believer and At First Sight.

Including The Notebook, fifteen of Sparks's novels have been No. 1 New York Times Best Sellers, and all of his novels have been both New York Times and international bestsellers. Sparks has also often been listed on Forbes annual highest-paid authors lists.

In September 2020, Sparks published his twenty-first novel The Return and followed that up with The Wish in 2021 and Dreamland in 2022, each of which were optioned as films.

Personal life

Sparks lives in New Bern, North Carolina. He has three sons and twin daughters. Sparks married Cathy Cote in 1989 whom he divorced in 2015.

Philanthropy

In 2008, Sparks donated nearly $900,000 for a new, all-weather tartan track to New Bern High School, where he has also volunteered to coach. The same year, he also donated "close to $10 million" to start a private school, The Epiphany School of Global Studies. Sparks has also funded scholarships, internships, and annual fellowships at the University of Notre Dame Creative Writing Program. In 2012, he founded The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a nonprofit that funds global education experiences for students, which has donated more than $15 million to charities, scholarship programs, and other projects.

Bibliography

Novels

  • The Notebook series:
    1. The Notebook (October 1996) ISBN 978-0-446-52080-5
    2. The Wedding (September 2003) ISBN 978-0-446-61586-0
  • Message in a Bottle (April 1998) ISBN 978-1-57042-605-6
  • A Walk to Remember (October 1999) ISBN 978-0-446-52553-4
  • The Rescue (September 2000) ISBN 978-0-446-52550-3
  • A Bend in the Road (September 2001) ISBN 978-1-58621-177-6
  • Nights in Rodanthe (September 2002) ISBN 978-1-58621-440-1
  • The Guardian (April 2003) ISBN 978-1-58621-393-0
  • Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell series:
    1. True Believer (April 2005) ISBN 978-0-446-53243-3
    2. At First Sight (October 2005) ISBN 978-1-58621-698-6
  • Dear John (October 2006) ISBN 978-0-446-52805-4
  • The Choice (September 2007) ISBN 978-0-446-57992-6
  • The Lucky One (September 2008) ISBN 978-0-446-57993-3
  • The Last Song (September 2009) ISBN 978-1-60024-638-8
  • Safe Haven (September 2010) ISBN 978-1-60788-619-8
  • The Best of Me (October 2011) ISBN 978-0-446-54765-9
  • The Longest Ride (September 2013) ISBN 978-1-61969-138-4
  • See Me (October 2015) ISBN 978-1-61969-135-3
  • Two by Two (October 2016) ISBN 978-1-4555-2069-5
  • Every Breath (October 2018) ISBN 978-1-5491-9469-6
  • The Return (September 2020) ISBN 978-1-5491-0221-9
  • The Wish (September 2021) ISBN 978-1-5387-2862-8
  • Dreamland (September 2022) ISBN 978-0593449554
  • Counting Miracles (September 2024)

Nonfiction

  • Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding (1990), Nicholas Sparks and Billy Mills. ISBN 978-0-9627943-0-8
  • Three Weeks with My Brother (April 2004), Nicholas Sparks and Micah Sparks. ISBN 978-1-58621-643-6

Adaptations

Eleven of Sparks's books have been turned into films, four of which he produced, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, and Safe Haven. Seven other of his books have also adapted for film: The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, and The Notebook. Films based on his novels have grossed $889,615,166 worldwide, while the Rotten Tomatoes scores range from 11% for The Choice to 53% for The Notebook, the most critically acclaimed film based on his work.

In April 2021, it was announced that a film adaptation of The Return was in development. Tom Dean joined the production as director, with the project developed by Bisous Pictures, and MRC Films, while MRC will serve as distributing company. Sparks will serve as a producer alongside Elizabeth Cantillon, and Theresa Park. In May of the same year, it was announced that three additional films based on novels by the author were in development for distribution by Universal Pictures. The company signed a first-look deal with Sparks, with intentions being that a long-term working relationship follow; the three movies will be joint-venture productions between Universal Pictures and Anonymous Content. The Wish will be the first book to be developed by the studio, followed by Dreamland, and an as-of-yet unspecified third adaptation. The Wish will see Sparks serve as producer, alongside Park, and Zack Hayden.

Film

YearTitleScreenwriterProducerDirectorNotesBox officeRT
1999Message in a BottleNoNoLuis MandokiBased on the novel of the same name.$118,880,01632%
2002A Walk to RememberNoNoAdam ShankmanBased on the novel of the same name.$47,494,91627%
2004The NotebookNoNoNick CassavetesBased on the novel of the same name.$115,603,22953%
2008Nights in RodantheNoNoGeorge C. WolfeBased on the novel of the same name.$84,375,06130%
2010Dear JohnNoNoLasse HallströmBased on the novel of the same name.$114,977,10429%
2010The Last SongYesNoJulie Anne RobinsonBased on the novel of the same name.$89,041,65621%
2012The Lucky OneNoNoScott HicksBased on the novel of the same name.$99,357,13821%
2013Safe HavenNoYesLasse HallströmBased on the novel of the same name.$97,594,14013%
2014The Best of MeNoYesMichael HoffmanBased on the novel of the same name.$35,926,21312%
2015The Longest RideNoYesGeorge Tillman Jr.Based on the novel of the same name.$62,944,81531%
2016The ChoiceNoYesRoss KatzBased on the novel of the same name.$23,420,87811%
TBAThe ReturnNoYesTom DeanBased on the novel of the same name.TBDTBD
The WishNoYesTBABased on the novel of the same name.TBDTBD
DreamlandNoYesTBABased on the novel of the same name.TBDTBD
Untitled filmNoYesTBABased on one of his published novels.TBDTBD
Total$889,615,166

TV

YearSeriesCreditDirector/ showrunnerNetworkRT
2014Deliverance CreekExecutive producerJon AmielLifetime50% (6 reviews)
TBAUntitled The Notebook follow-upCharacters based on The NotebookTBAThe CWTBD
The contents of this page are sourced from Wikipedia article. The contents are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
Who is Nicholas Sparks?
Nicholas Sparks is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer. He is well-known for writing romantic novels and has published numerous best-selling books.
What are some popular books written by Nicholas Sparks?
Some popular books written by Nicholas Sparks include "The Notebook," "A Walk to Remember," "The Last Song," "Safe Haven," and "The Best of Me." He has written over 20 novels in total.
Has Nicholas Sparks ever written books that have been adapted into movies?
Yes, many of Nicholas Sparks' books have been adapted into movies. Some examples include "The Notebook," "Dear John," "The Lucky One," and "The Best of Me." These adaptations have been successful at the box office and have brought his stories to a wider audience.
What is Nicholas Sparks' writing style?
Nicholas Sparks' writing style is often described as emotional and sentimental. His novels typically revolve around themes of love, loss, and personal growth. He often draws inspiration from real-life events and incorporates them into his stories.
Has Nicholas Sparks won any awards for his writing?
Nicholas Sparks has received numerous awards for his writing. He has been recognized by organizations such as the American Library Association and the Academy of American Poets. Additionally, several of his books have topped bestseller lists and been adapted into successful movies.
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