The Hunger Games trilogy is one of the most popular series released in the last few decades. The best-selling books have sold millions of copies and sparked a billion dollar movie franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence. Now fans of the Panem universe have a prequel to dive into—The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The events of the new installment by author Suzanne Collins take place 64 years before the events of the trilogy, beginning on the morning of the Tenth Hunger Games reaping. Scholastic Trade Publishing released the title and an image of the cover in a tweet:
RETURN TO THE HUNGER GAMES! THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES from Suzanne Collins is coming out on May 19, 2020. Pre-order your copy now! #SongbirdsandSnakes #HungerGames https://t.co/0g5zgrmgoz pic.twitter.com/kO1Pwt3ZTK
— Scholastic (@Scholastic) October 4, 2019
Collins recently said in a statement, “With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival. The reconstruction period 10 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.”
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is slated to release on May 19, 2020. Readers can preorder their copies here and also watch an official countdown to the day the book will come out. New readers can also purchase copies of The Hunger Games trilogy on the same page.
