Nick Hern Books to publish stage adaptation of Yanagihara’s A Little Life

Specialist theatre publishers Nick Hern Books has acquired the rights to publish the stage adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara’s novel A Little Life (Picador) alongside its sold-out run in London’s West End.

Rights were acquired by Maddie Hindes at Nick Hern Books from Steven David at Creative Artists Agency, Mark Subias at Smuggler and Simon Ash at NR1 Creatives. Nick Hern Books will publish A Little Life in the UK, Ireland and Commonwealth (excluding Canada).

In addition to the full text of the play, the published edition – released in paperback and e-book on 27th April – will include introductions by Yanagihara and theatre director Ivo van Hove, a production history and a colour-plate section reproducing paintings of the West End cast.

The stage adaptation – conceived by van Hove, and adapted by Koen Tachelet, van Hove and Yanagihara – was first performed in a Dutch-language production at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam in the Netherlands in 2018, before transferring to New York in 2022.

It is now playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End before a further run at the Savoy Theatre, London, directed by Ivo van Hove and with a cast led by James Norton ("Happy Valley", "Grantchester", "McMafia") playing Jude.