Ferrante's Neapolitan quartet to be Italian TV series

Elena Ferrante's hit Neapolitan quartet is to be adapted into an eight-part Italian language TV series.

Italian TV and feature film producer Wildside and production company Fandango Productions will co-develop and co-produce the adaptation, with the author - whose true identity is a closely guarded secret – said to be "involved throughout the project."

Lorenzo Mieli, managing director of Wildside, said: “We’re very privileged to be working closely with the superbly talented Ferrante and Fandango productions to bring this rich, gripping and highly-addictive collection of novels to life. Ferrante’s works portray a fascinating and intense insight into past times, and the stories and characters have become a literary obsession for many fans all over the world.”

The c.e.o. of Fantango Domenico Procacci added: “It has been two years now since Fandango began working on My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante and we've seen the potential of this project grow day by day. I'm confident that together with Wildside we can realize something great, very respectful of Ferrante's work and our Italian culture and, at the same time, with real international appeal".

The Neopolitan quartet, beginning with My Brilliant Friend and ending with The Story of the Lost Child, is published in English translation by Europa Editions, and has become a bestseller. My Brilliant Friend alone has sold nearly 130,000 copies in the UK according to Nielsen BookScan.