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Published 14:00 IST, May 8th 2021

E. Lynn Harris' Invisible Life book trilogy to be adapted by HBO

Invisible Life, one of the most important books about being Black and gay in literature, is to be developed into a series by HBO. Check out the details.

Reported by: Aditi Sharma
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Source:John Bazemore/ASSOCIATED PRESS | Image: self
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HBO has started working on developing a show based on author E. Lynn Harris' critically-acclaimed book trilogy called Invisible Life.  The novel series is based on a young, gay and Black author who fashioned a deeply moving and compelling coming-of-age story out of the then-highly controversial issues of bisexuality and AIDS. According to The Hollywood Reporter, playwright Harrison David Rivers is adapting the novels for the small screen. 

HBO to develop the Invisible Life book trilogy into series

Rivers will work as the executive producer of the series along with Proteus Spann and Tracey Edmonds.  Rivers is a GLAAD Award-winning writer of plays like When We Last FlewSweet, Where Storms are Born, and the musical Five Points. In the trilogy, the first book titled Invisible Life was published in 1991. It is acclaimed as one of the classic gay novels in literature. The sequels of the novel were titled - Just As I Am (1995), And This Too Shall Pass (1997). 

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The first book in the series was named as one of the top 20 classic gay titles in literature by the Los Angeles Times. It explores the issues of race, HIV and AIDS, bisexuality, and being closeted. It’s one of Harris’ ten books that made the New York Times best-seller list. Harris passed away in 2009, but before he died, the IP rights for his works were purchased by Proteus Spann’s Proteus E2 Productions with the author’s blessing. This deal included a total of 16 books published by Harris between 1991 and 2010. 

Spann talks about the Invisible Life series

In an interview with Deadline, Spann said that it has been the passion of his adult life to bringing E. Lynn’s masterful storytelling to a broader audience. He added that for many men, his books were a safe haven, a place where they could see themselves long before television and film would ever attempt to accurately portray the subject matter. It is women, however, who make up a majority of Harris’ fan base. He mentioned that for many women, his books became the first reference they could access privately and even begin to explore the possibility that their brothers, friends, lovers, and even husbands may be gay, bisexual, or leading a double-life.

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14:00 IST, May 8th 2021