Novel set for small screen

A gritty and emotional novel set in Geraldton is one step closer to appearing on our screens after receiving a funding boost, only a few months after the sale of the screen rights. On Thursday, author Holden Sheppard found out the TV adaptation of his debut novel Invisible Boys had been awarded funding as part of Screenwest’s latest Scripted Development Funding round. The funding will allow Sheppard, co-writer and director Nicholas Verso, and producer Tania Chamber to take the next step in developing the miniseries. Sheppard said the group would now put together a writers’ room to nut out the 10-episode synopsis, write the first episode, and bring the project to the next stage of development. As he moves into the next phase of the project, he has his heart set on keeping the script “gritty” and faithful to the novel, and challenging ideas about Geraldton and what it means to be a gay man. “This is just as much a story about growing up in the country as it is about being gay,” he said. Mr Sheppard is hoping the miniseries will be filmed in Geraldton, giving him a chance to showcase all the different faces of the place here he grew up — urban, coastal and country. “I just want to say a huge thanks to people in Gero for supporting this project,” he said. Screenwest chief executive Willie Rowe said Invisible Boys provided a unique and under-represented perspective of regional WA. “Holden Sheppard’s critically acclaimed debut novel provides an incredible base,” he said.