Holden Sheppard

Last updated
Holden Sheppard
Born (1988-06-26) 26 June 1988 (age 36)
Geraldton, Western Australia [1]
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAustralian
Alma mater Edith Cowan University
Genre Drama, LGBTQ
Years active2017–present
Notable works Invisible Boys [2] [3]
Notable awards Western Australian Premier's Book Awards (2019)
Spouse
Raphael Farmer
​
(m. 2019)​
[4] [5]
Website
www.holdensheppard.com

Holden Sheppard (born June 26, 1988) is an Australian novelist. His debut young adult novel, Invisible Boys, won multiple accolades including the 2018 T.A.G. Hungerford Award and the 2019 Western Australian Premier's Book Award and was adapted as a 2025 television series of the same name. [6] His writing often focuses on themes of masculinity, sexuality and mental health. [7] [8]

Contents

Early life

Sheppard was born in the country town of Geraldton in Western Australia. [9] At the age of 18, he moved to Perth and studied a bachelors of English literature at Edith Cowan University. While he was studying, he was also working part time as a grocery store assistant in Woolworths Supermarkets as a stock taker. [10]

Career

Sheppard's debut young adult novel, Invisible Boys, follows three gay teenage boys in rural Western Australia after one of them is outed. It was published by Fremantle Press in 2019 after Sheppard won the T.A.G. Hungerford Award in 2018 and received a cash prize and publishing contract. In 2019, he won the Western Australian Premier's Book Award for an Emerging Writer and received $15,000 in prize money. [11] The following year, the book was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards and was named a Notable Book by the Children's Book Council of Australia. [12] It was later developed as a 10-part television series for Stan, as part of a Screenwest development initiative, [13] with production occurring from March 2024 and the series released on 13 February 2025. [14]

His second book, YA thriller The Brink, was published by Text Publishing in 2022 and won the 2023 Indie Book Awards Young adult prize. [15] The book follows a group of school leavers on a remote island off the coast of Western Australia, where they discover a dead body. [16]

Sheppard's writing has been published in several literary magazines including Griffith Review, Westerly, page seventeen and Indigo Journal. [17] His work has also appeared in anthologies Bright Lights, No City (2018), [17] Hometown Haunts: #LoveOzYA Horror Tales (2021) [18] and Growing Up in Country Australia (2022). [19]

Sheppard's novel Invisible Boys was created as a series and streamed in 2025 on Stan featuring actors Joseph Zada, Joe Klocek and Aydan Calafiore in the lead roles. [20] The series received critical reception among viewers for its screenplay and storyline which was contributed by Sheppard. Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen from Guardian Australia critiques ways Invisible Boys "begins to play into the cliche that queerness and relentless trauma go hand in hand, and veers close to trauma porn with a major plot event." [21] Sheppard also announced a sequel series for his novel, Invisible Boys 2. [22] [23]

In 2025, Sheppard released his 8th novel King of Dirt which opened up to positive reviews from critics. Sheppard stated. “King of Dirt tackles themes of masculinity, sexuality and mental illness and trauma in men and what that looks like. It also dives deep into issues of family dysfunction, family estrangement and fatherhood, as well as love and loss and finding hope after losing everything. King of Dirt explores what a traumatised, addicted, mentally-unwell Aussie bloke in his 30s looks like, through the main character of Giacomo “Jack” Brolo". [24] [25] [26]

Personal life

Sheppard is openly gay and is married to husband Raphael Farmer who is also a novelist. [27] He is also a part-time labourer. [28] [29] Holden lives in Perth's far north with his husband.

Bibliography

YearTitleNotes
2017The Scroll of IsidorDebut [30]
2017A Man
2017The Black Flower
2018Poster Boy [31] Novella
2019Invisible BoysAward-winning book [32] [33] [34]
2019Bright Lights, No City [35]
2022The Brink [36] [37]
2025King of Dirt [38] [39]

Television

YearShowRoleChannelLanguageNotes
2022 You Can't Ask That Guest ABC English [40] [41]
2025-present Invisible Boys Stan English Creator

Accolades

YearAwardResultRef.
2017Ray Koppe Residency AwardWon [42] [43]
2018 T.A.G. Hungerford Award Won
2019Kathleen Mitchell AwardWon
2019 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Won
2020Readings Young Adult Book PrizeNominated
2020Children's Book Council of Australia Notable BookNominated
2020Indie Book AwardNominated
2020Victorian Premier's Literary AwardNominated
2023Indie Book Award – Young adultWon [44]
2023Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature (New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards)Shortlisted [45]
2024Ena Noël AwardShortlisted [46]
2025Minderoo AwardWon [47] [48]

References

  1. ↑ "Geraldton-born, award-winning author Holden Sheppard on exploring freedom in second novel". geraldtonguardian.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Invisible Boys author Holden Sheppard has sold the film and television rights to his debut novel". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Holden Sheppard: Invisible Boys author says he's not a role model". www.geraldtonguardian.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Holden Sheppard". centreforstories.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "I tried to convert myself from gay to straight. It doesn't work". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. ↑ Hirst, Jordan (2025-06-08). "Holden Sheppard's new book is 'Brokeback Mountain for the Grindr era'".
  7. ↑ Burge, Michael (2022-07-03). "Backwards to Bourke: Bulldust about Gays in the Bush" . Journal of Australian Studies. 46 (3): 307–320. doi:10.1080/14443058.2022.2077405. ISSN   1444-3058. S2CID   249717745.
  8. ↑ ""I'm interested in things that are classed as adult: sex, drugs, rock and roll, trauma": Holden Sheppard".
  9. ↑ "5 Questions with Holden Sheppard". margaretriverpress.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Holden Sheppard to share his journey from stacking supermarket shelves to award-winning author at Pulse Talks".
  11. ↑ "2019 Winners". State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  12. ↑ "Holden Sheppard". Writing WA. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  13. ↑ "The television series 'Invisible Boys' receives more development funding". OUTInPerth | LGBTQIA+ News and Culture. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  14. ↑ Knox, David (2025-01-23). "Airdate: Invisible Boys | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  15. ↑ "'Runt' wins 2023 Indie Book of the Year". Books+Publishing. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  16. ↑ Perse, Elena (2022-09-05). "Book review: The Brink, Holden Sheppard". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  17. 1 2 "Holden Sheppard". Centre for Stories. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  18. ↑ "Wakefield Press :: Children's and Teenage :: Hometown Haunts". www.wakefieldpress.com.au. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  19. ↑ "Growing Up In Country Australia". Reading Australia. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  20. ↑ Thomas, Shibu (2023-09-01). "Holden Sheppard's Gay YA Novel Invisible Boys Is Being Made Into A TV Series". Star Observer. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  21. ↑ Nguyen, Giselle Au-Nhien (2025-02-13). "Invisible Boys review – heartfelt queer drama tilts towards trauma porn". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  22. ↑ "Holden Sheppard reveals Invisible Boys sequel name". qnews.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  23. ↑ "Holden Sheppard shares plans for 'Invisible Boys' sequel as he wins major arts prize". www.outinperth.com. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  24. ↑ "King of Dirt by Holden Sheppard review – a grim portrait of homophobia and masculinity". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  25. ↑ "Invisible no longer, Holden Sheppard releases blistering new book". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  26. ↑ "Holden Sheppard Stuns With Powerful New Novel King Of Dirt". www.starobserver.com.au. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
  27. ↑ "Growing up gay in Geraldton: how Holden Sheppard lived to tell the tale". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  28. ↑ "Local authors battle for lucrative T.A.G. Hungerford Award". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  29. ↑ "Holden Sheppard: Pushed to the Limits". www.wheelercentre.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  30. ↑ "Novel gives voice to being young and gay in rural WA". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  31. ↑ "All Being Equal". Griffith Review. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  32. ↑ "After the critical and commercial success of Invisible Boys (Fremantle Press), our favourite WA author Holden Sheppard is back with a timely exploration of dangerous youth in his new novel, The Brink". happymag.tv. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  33. ↑ "Holden Sheppard's "Invisible Boys" a Young Adult success". www.starobserver.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  34. ↑ "'Invisible Boys' selected as successful recipient of Stan and Screenwest Development Initiative". www.screenwest.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  35. ↑ "Local author Holden Sheppard signs two-book deal with Text Publishing". www.outinperth.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  36. ↑ "Out Gay Australian Author Holden Sheppard Talks About Life On 'The Brink'". www.starobserver.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  37. ↑ "Holden Sheppard drops trailer for new book The Brink". qnews.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  38. ↑ "Holden Sheppard reveals the cover for his new novel 'King of Dirt'". www.outinperth.com. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  39. ↑ "Holden Sheppard Reveals Details For Newest Novel King Of Dirt". www.starobserver.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  40. ↑ "You Can't Ask That return sees WA author Holden Sheppard dish on what it's like to be a bogan". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  41. ↑ "Holden Sheppard on You Can't Ask That, 'Bogans'". qnews.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  42. ↑ "Holden Sheppard Accolades". fremantlepress.com.au. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  43. ↑ "Meet Author Holden Sheppard at Crow Books Q&A event". www.outinperth.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  44. ↑ "Indie Book Awards 2023 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2023-01-18. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  45. ↑ "The Brink". State Library of NSW. 2023-02-03. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  46. ↑ "Ena Noël Award 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  47. ↑ "Holden Sheppard honoured with Minderoo award and $50,000 grant to fund Invisible Boys sequel YEAH THE BOYS". The Geraldton Guardian. 2025-03-05.
  48. ↑ "Sheppard wins Minderoo arts award". Business News. 2025-03-05.
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