Scholastic to publish 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' by Suzanne Collins

Scholastic is proud to publish The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the much-anticipated new novel in the worldwide bestselling The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins­—the first new Hunger Games book since Mockingjay, published in 2010. 

With a World English first printing of 2.5 million copies, THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES is being released today, simultaneously in print, digital and audio formats by Scholastic in India. This novel will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games. The book will revolve around the reconstruction of the period known as the Dark Days that took place following the First Rebellion, the civil war that was fought between the districts and the Capitol.

The author Suzanne Collins, in a statement from Scholastic, explained her overall motivation for the book this way, and said, "I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. The reconstruction period ten years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days — as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet — provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity.”

Commenting on the launch, Shantanu Duttagupta, Publisher, Scholastic India, said, “Returning to the world of Panem is an exciting proposition for readers of all ages. Ten years after the publication of Mockingjay, this new novel promises to answer, and raise more questions and debate for fans across the world. With the first run of 2.5 million copies of the English edition, we’re confident that The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will create the whole new fan base and provide something for the die-hard Hunger Games fan as well.”

The book is available in India from May 20, 2020, on Amazon and Flipkart and already has a film adaptation in the works, to be directed by Catching Fire and Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2 directors Francis Lawrence. The first three "Hunger Games" books — "The Hunger Games," ″Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay" — have sold more than 100 million copies and have been translated into more than 50 languages.