Jessica Murphy: Your novels certainly do have an element of redemption.

Nick Hornby: For me, it’s really important. I think there are plenty of people writing books where there is no redemption at all. That seems to be another job that contemporary fiction has taken upon itself—to deny people all hope. I find that tough, actually. People work hard, and their lives are difficult enough as it is without being told by some guy who sits around doing nothing all day that there is no hope for any of us.