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American novelist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ayana Gray (born March 13, 1993) is an American author of young adult fiction. Her 2021 debut novel Beasts of Prey was a New York Times bestseller.[1][2][3]
Ayana Gray | |
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![]() Gray at the 2022 Texas Book Festival | |
Born | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | March 13, 1993
Occupation | Novelist |
Language | English |
Education | University of Arkansas (BA) Pulaski Academy |
Genre | Fantasy, Children's literature |
Years active | 2021–present |
Notable works | Beasts of Prey |
Website | |
ayanagray |
Gray was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas with her family at age thirteen, attending and graduating from Pulaski Academy.[4] Gray received her Bachelor of Arts in political science and African and African-American Studies from the University of Arkansas in 2015.[5][6]
Gray began writing her debut novel, Beasts of Prey, in May 2015, following her graduation.[7] In July 2020, Gray sold Beasts of Prey and two accompanying books to Putnam Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.[8]
Beasts of Prey, the first installment in the eponymous trilogy, was published on September 28, 2021.[9] The story takes place in a Pan-African inspired world and follows two Black teens named Koffi and Ekon as they venture into a magical jungle to find and hunt down an ancient monster.[10][11][12] Beasts of Prey debuted at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list.[1] In 2021, it was announced that the book would be adapted into a feature film by Netflix,[13] with Clubhouse Pictures producing.[14][15]
Gray currently lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.[16][6] She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority[17]
In March 2023, the Beasts of Prey series was chosen as the featured series for the "If All Arkansas Read the Same Book" event.[18]
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