Trinity graduate Naoise Dolan’s debut novel Exciting Times – a hit since its release in April – will be made into a TV series in the US by the company that released The Imitation Game.
Dolan announced the move – which will see her co-directing a series based on the book – on Twitter this afternoon.
Black Bear Pictures – a production company with a string of high-profile releases, including Mudbound and Suburbicon as well as the Alan Turing biopic – will produce the series.
The English literature graduate will produce the series alongside Teddy Schwarzman, Ben Stillman and Michael Heimler.
In a press statement, Dolan said: “I think my love of dialogue is clear from the book, so I’m thrilled to partner with Black Bear to bring the characters to a TV audience, and even more so to be involved as an executive producer.”
“Black Bear is discerning, independent-minded, and very engaged with the novel, so it will be a privilege to work together on this project”, she said.
Schwarzman said the company “immediately fell in love with Naoise’s honest, wry, and intelligent prose, and her ability to depict remarkably complex yet utterly relatable characters”.
“We believe Naoise is an extraordinary voice, with a huge future ahead of her, and Black Bear is honored to play a part in bringing her rich material to life.”
Exciting Times has met with almost universal acclaim since its release last month. The Irish Times called it an “impressive, cerebral debut written with brio and humour”.
Dolan has frequently been compared to fellow Trinity graduate Sally Rooney, whose hit novel Normal People has already been made into a TV show.
Last September, in an interview with The University Times, Dolan said she “spent most of my degree not trying nearly as hard as I could”.
She said it wasn’t until final year that “something clicked”.
“I thought, this is such a waste of time and money and this is an opportunity that I am never going to have again.”
