Normal People, BBC: trailer, release date, photos, plot, cast

Normal People is a book that has galvanised a generation. Sally Rooney's 2018 novel is lauded by Insta-influencers and literati types alike. It's won awards and prompted snide remarks from the dinosaurs of so-called 'literary fiction'. The archly observed love story refines romance for millennials, capturing the re-invention and self-scrutiny that comes with growing up, moving away and falling in love.

Now, a TV adaptation is coming and a wave of warm, beautiful first-look photos have been released – a teaser for the intense romantic drama to come. Here's everything we know.

What's the story of Normal People?

Normal People follows teenagers Connell and Marianne, who live in the same small Irish town. He's popular but poor; she's awkward but affluent. They are both bright, and something sparks between them. When both Connell and Marianne go to Trinity College Dublin, their own identities shift and slip.

Rooney adapts the book herself, along with writers Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth) and Mark O'Rowe (The Delinquent Season), into 12 half-hour episodes. Lenny Abrahamson (The Little Stranger, Room) and Hettie MacDonald (Howards End) share directorial duties for the series. Filming took place in Dublin, Sligo and Italy.

Who's in the Normal People cast?

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones play millennial couple Connell and Marianne

Daisy Edgar-Jones (Gentleman Jack, Cold Feet) is playing Marianne and, in his television debut, Paul Mescal plays Connell. Also starring in the series are: Sean Doyle as Eric, Sarah Greene as Lorraine, Eanna Hardwicke as Rob, and Gwynne McElveen as Caitlin.

What's the Normal People release date?

The whole series drops as a BBC Three box set on Sunday 26 April. Watch the new trailer below.