Nicholas Sparks is an American novelist and screenwriter, best known for his romantic drama novels. Many of his books have been international bestsellers, and eleven of his novels have been adapted into films, including The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, and Dear John.

He was born on December 31, 1965, in Omaha, Nebraska. Sparks attended the University of Notre Dame on a track and field scholarship, where he began writing. He published his first novel, The Notebook, in 1996, which catapulted him to fame.