Holden Sheppard’s Gay YA Novel Invisible Boys Is Being Made Into A TV Series

Perth-based author Holden Sheppard’s award-winning gay YA novel Invisible Boys is being adapted into a 10-part TV series for the Australian streaming platform Stan. 

Invisible Boys is set in Geraldton in Western Australia, and follows three gay 16-year-old boys, coming to terms with their sexuality in a regional town where they are invisible. Sheppard’s debut novel won the 2019 WA Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer, the Kathleen Mitchell Award and the Ray Koppe Residency Award.  

Sheppard shared on social media he was “stoked” with the news of the TV adaptation. “I can’t wait to share more, but in the meantime, I’m just gonna glow-bask in the news that HOLY HELL, this is actually happening! My book is gonna be a TV series!”

Invisible Boys is among the three local productions commissioned by Stan – the other two are Thou Shalt Not Steal, a road series through Central and South Australia and Exposure, a thriller set in coastal New South Wales. 

‘The Vision For the Show Is Powerful’

Invisible Boys will be directed by Logie Award-winning creator Nicholas Verso (Crazy Fun Park, Boys in the Trees) and produced by Tania Chambers (How to Please a Woman) and Verso. 

“I hope it is just the first of many and opens up the gates for many more stories to be told,” Sheppard shared. 

“Nick and Tania’s vision for this show is so powerful. I feel bulk gratitude to the very talented team of Nick, Tania, and all the writers, plus Stan and all the funding partners who have backed this story and believe in it. Thanks, heaps! It’s been awesome to see this story grow and evolve in the writers’ room, and as the writer of the novel the show is based on, I feel sure that fans of the original book will love the adaptation as much as I do.”

According to  Grainne Brunsdon, Screen Australia’s Head of Content, Invisible Boys was the first “homegrown LGBTQIA+ teen/young adult series to be made in WA”. 

“Invisible Boys boldly navigates uncharted territory – sharing a gritty and authentic coming-of-age story with audiences,” Brunsdon said, adding, “We are thrilled to empower the creative team in delivering their unapologetically true-to-life vision. Invisible Boys will undoubtedly resonate with audiences in Australia and worldwide, amplifying the voices that deserve to be heard and celebrating the authentic and dynamic spirit of Australian storytelling.” 

‘A Dream’

Series Director Verso said adapting Sheppard’s novel for TV was a “dream”. 

“We’ve had a blast in the writers’ room, diving deeply into this world and expanding upon the characters and themes of the book with all its love, heartbreak, confusion, messiness, and joy. I can’t wait to be back on set in Western Australia, bringing the story to life with the wonderful creative team,” said Verso. 

“Nick and Tania’s vision for this adaptation of Holden Sheppard’s acclaimed novel really sets apart this project as a unique and gripping coming-of-age story – told against a beautiful and often unseen backdrop of a Western Australian coastal town. We are delighted to be the international partner of this diverse series and to take this drama to audiences worldwide,” said Simon Cox, Executive Vice-President Content Acquisitions at Banijay Rights.

Screenwest CEO Rikki Lea Bestall said Invisible Boys would “move into production in the MidWest in the near future.