About a Boy

I've been in London for a bit over two weeks now. I find myself settling in, falling into patterns, and enjoying my new normal. For several months I've been anticipating the panic to set in, realizing the magnitude of what I am doing, and to freak out just a little. It hasn't happened yet, so I'm just going to go with it.

The KU Big Read program has punctuated my first few weeks here. Essentially, Kingston University sent every first year graduate student, staff member, and incoming freshman a copy of About a Boy by Nick Hornby (a KU alumnus). Nearly 12,000 specially printed copies were distributed with lots of social media chatter, pictures on Twitter tagged with #kubigread, and events on campus. One of my lecturers developed KU Big Read (this being the inaugural year) and, as a publishing student, we received lots of information about the program prior to arriving on campus. It was a great, natural conversation starter with my new classmates, and it encouraged me to read a book I may not have picked up otherwise.
Honestly, I didn't really relate to any of the characters. That's usually a negative for me, but they felt so real! It was as if I could look up from reading and see Marcus sitting across the bus from me, or that I could pretend not to listen as he and his mother argued in a cafe. So, rather than relate to the characters, I got to know and appreciate them for their quirks instead.

About a Boy is set in London and I found myself grinning at a number of small cultural differences from my home in the US, while also learning a bit about my home for the next year. I've heard that the novel isn't necessarily viewed as Hornby's best, but I suppose I'll have to develop my own view on that.

After an afternoon speeding to finish my copy, we were treated to a Q&A session with Nick Hornby himself. Arriving early, we were human props in several promotional photos.

https://twitter.com/KingstonUni/status/649606997998964737

He seems like a nice guy and very down to earth. Fever Pitch is autobiographical, if that gives you any idea. He carefully listened to questions, gave thoughtful and relatable answers, and looked you in the eye as he responded. Hornby is wildly successful as an author and screenwriter, having written a number of books and several well-known screen adaptations such as Wild and Brooklyn. It was an interesting evening and I am hugely supportive of the KU Big Read idea. Plus, I've added another signed book to my collection.