Dex and Emma forever: how One Day became the literary phenomenon of the Noughties

I can still remember my mum’s disclaimer as she put her copy of One Day on my sun lounger, the paperback’s orange cover slightly wilted from the heat. “I should warn you,” she said, looking mildly shell-shocked. “There’s a sad bit at the end.” Talk about an understatement. The tens of thousands of fellow readers who picked up a copy that summer were probably similarly scarred by the experience. But this didn’t stop One Day from becoming one of the biggest, most enduring literary love stories of the ensuing decade. Now, 15 years on from its initial release, Netflix is going to put long-term devotees and a new generation of fans through the emotional wringer, with a 14-part adaptation starring Ambika.