Ayana Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ayana Gray
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Gray at the 2022 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | March 13, 1993 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| 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 |
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.
Biography
Gray was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas with her family at age thirteen, attending and graduating from Pulaski Academy. Gray received her Bachelor of Arts in political science and African and African-American Studies from the University of Arkansas in 2015.
Gray began writing her debut novel, Beasts of Prey, in May 2015, following her graduation. In July 2020, Gray sold Beasts of Prey and two accompanying books to Putnam Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Beasts of Prey, the first installment in the eponymous trilogy, was published on September 28, 2021. 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. Beasts of Prey debuted at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2021, it was announced that the book would be adapted into a feature film by Netflix, with Clubhouse Pictures producing.
Personal life
Gray currently lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
Awards & recognition
- 2022 Arkansas Center for the Book Selection
- 2022 Georgia Center for the Book Selection
In March 2023, the Beasts of Prey series was chosen as the featured series for the "If All Arkansas Read the Same Book" event.
