The televised adaptation of Normal People, written by Trinity graduate Sally Rooney, will be aired on RTÉ, the broadcaster announced today.
Last May, it was announced that BBC Three and streaming service Hulu would develop a 12-part series based on the acclaimed novel, which concerns the on/off relationship between two Trinity students.
Speaking to RTÉ News, Dermot Horan, the broadcaster’s director of acquisitions and coproductions said: “We are very proud to bring this beautifully-made and compelling series from Element Pictures to our RTÉ viewers.”
“The appeal and the reach of the book and this series is global, but at its heart is a distinctly Irish story which we know will strongly resonate with our younger viewers”, he said.
Filming for the series – which is directed by Trinity graduate and Oscar nominee Lenny Abrahamson – took place on Trinity’s campus last summer. The series’s release date has not been confirmed, but it is expected to begin airing next month.
Last month, it was announced that Rooney’s debut novel, Conversations with Friends, will also be adapted into a 12-part TV series by the BBC. The novel follows the story of two young Trinity students who become friends with a wealthy older couple living in Dublin.
Abrahamson and Normal People screenwriter Alice Birch will carry on their work with Conversation with Friends, with Rooney herself to remain involved for the second series.
Normal People has picked up a long list of awards since its release, including the Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, the Costa Novel Award, Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, and the Waterstones Fiction Book of the Year.
It was also longlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the 2019 International Dublin Literary Award.
The New York Times called Rooney the “first great millennial author”. Critics have praised the novel for its accessible yet profound style, and her sensitive but honest depiction of relationships in the modern world.
Rooney studied English in Trinity, graduating with a degree in American literature. She was elected a Scholar in 2011.
