Beasts of Prey is the first in a trilogy with the next two books scheduled to be released in 20. The story was eventually sold to Penguin Random House. They worked together to revise the book before submitting it to editors at traditional publishing houses. Through this event, she connected with her current literary agent, Peter Knapp of Park & Fine Literary Media. In April 2019, Gray participated in an event on Twitter called #DVPit where she pitched her book idea to literary agents and editors.

Eventually, she turned to what she knew and started writing this story in her spare time over the course of four years. She worked in advancement and lived abroad in Australia for a while. “There was an immense power and I as a writer was like there’s a story, there are stories plural here.”įollowing graduation, Gray grappled with what came next in life. The month-long trip was “an incredibly emotional experience” where Gray saw not only people living in extreme poverty, but a parliament run by Black politicians. “It made me understand that my idea of good and evil - as I understood it my entire 18, 19 years of life - is not nearly as simple as I thought and that was disturbing,” she said.Ī few months later, Gray studied abroad in Ghana where she and her classmates learned about the transatlantic slave trade. During that class, Gray realized the people who hold power have a lot of control over what is considered “good” or “evil.” Experiences at college, such as taking a course on political violence, helped inspire her bestseller. Gray graduated from the U of A in 2015 with honors degrees in political science and African and African American studies. Often referred to as a Pan-African inspired fantasy, the story celebrates mythologies from across Africa. Published in September, the book is a young adult fantasy novel following two Black teenagers who enter a magical jungle to hunt down a monster. They’re not as scary as you’re probably thinking they are.”Ĭonfronting your fears is a challenge faced by the characters in her debut novel, Beasts of Prey. “Turn, face them, address them, take them on. “Don’t run from the things that scare you,” Gray said. Now a New York Times bestselling author, the U of A alumna returned yesterday to share her experiences in the publishing world and offer advice to students during a lecture hosted by the Honors College. It’s been six years since Ayana Gray has stepped foot on the University of Arkansas campus.

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