A comedy masterpiece from the internationally bestselling author of ONE DAY and THE UNDERSTUDY.

***Pre-order David Nicholls' new novel YOU ARE HERE now - Coming April 2024***
THE DEBUT NOVEL BY BELOVED BESTSELLER DAVID NICHOLLS
A comedy about love, class, growing up and the all-important difference between knowledge and wisdom
'Painfully funny'
ELLE

'Hugely entertaining'
DAILY MAIL

'Wincingly good'
TIME OUT

'Unrivalled'
GLAMOUR

'I laughed a lot'
JEREMY PAXMAN

It's 1985 and Brian Jackson has arrived at university with a burning ambition - to make it onto TV's foremost general knowledge quiz. But no sooner has he embarked on 'The Challenge' than he finds himself falling hopelessly in love with his teammate, the beautiful and charismatic would-be actress Alice Harbinson.

When Alice fails to fall for his slightly over-eager charms, Brian comes up with a foolproof plan to capture her heart once and for all: he's going to win the game, at any cost. Because - after all - everyone knows that what a woman really wants from a man is a comprehensive grasp of general knowledge . . .


ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED WRITERS
'One of the most astute chroniclers of England as it is now'
FINANCIAL TIMES

'An uncanny ability to make us laugh out loud, but also care passionately about his characters'
DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love'
THE TIMES

'No one else writes novels that are both relatable and revelatory in the way he does'
EVENING STANDARD

'Genuinely brilliant'
NEW STATESMAN

"Clever and well-written . . . Nicholls' portrayal of student affectations is accurate and funny" - Independent

"A funny, touching novel reminiscent of the classic film Gregory's Girl with an authentic 1980s backdrop" - Sunday Mirror

"Hugely entertaining" - Daily Mail

"Nicholls delineates the whole university experience . . . But he does the serious bits well, too, and the fatherless teenager pulling himself up by his bootstraps, hopelessly out of his depth, is warmly evoked" - Guardian

"A bittersweet coming-of-age tale . . . A fine, funny book" - Heat

"Wincingly good . . . spry, affecting" - Time Out

"Hilarious . . . you won't be able to put it down" - OK

"Painfully funny" - Elle

"Warm and funny . . . hilarious" - Daily Mirror

"Highly engaging" - Irish Independent

"Wonderful . . . Nicholls recreates all the cringingly embarrassing moments students endure on the university bandwagon - the wild parties, tentative friendships and romantic interludes - with superb powers of characterisation. It's a fun-filled trip down memory lane for all students, with more than a touch of pathos" - Hello

"Hugely (and deservedly) hyped . . . Achingly funny" - She

"For conjuring up all those cringeworthy moments of youth, this read is unrivalled" - Glamour

"Toe-curlingly embarrassing and cleverly observed . . . it'll have you wincing and laughing simultaneously. Fabulous" - Company

"Wonderfully written . . . This is a lovely look back at a time when you were young enough to think that anything could happen" - Word

"Starter for Ten is the debut of the year; a recommendation repeated by all who come in contact with it . . . Trust us, you'll love it" - Arena

"Moving, wickedly observed, warm, uplifting and above all blindingly funny, Starter for Ten hits the spot time after time. Read this book" - Jack

"Brilliant . . . made me blush with remembered agonies [of university life]" - Northern Echo

"This funny tale . . . will have you laughing out loud" - Herald