Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

Popular author Suzanne Collins pens books for children and young adults. Her books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. She’s best known for her dystopian science fiction hit The Hunger Games series, which follows teenager Katniss Everdeen as she’s thrust into a deadly, government-imposed competition. The best-selling series includes the original trilogy—The Hunger Games (2008), Catching Fire (2009), and Mockingjay (2010)—as well as the prequels The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) and the recently released Sunrise on the Reaping (2025).

Since its publication, The Hunger Games has remained a literary sensation, spending more than six years on The New York Times bestseller list (“Biography.” Suzanne Collins). The series consistently appears on Publisher’s Weekly and USA Today’s top-selling lists, has been translated into 55 languages, and has won more than 70 awards, including ALA Best Books for Young Adults, the Goodreads Choice Award, and Kirkus Best Young Adult Book of the Year. Lionsgate adapted the books into a film franchise that has earned over $3.3 billion and plans to release Sunrise on the Reaping in Fall 2026.

Before her success as a novelist, Collins worked in children’s television, writing for Nickelodeon shows like Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (“Biography”). In addition, she wrote for Little Bear, Oswald, and Clifford’s Puppy Days. Coworker and children’s author James Proimos encouraged her to transition to authoring books, leading to the creation of The Underland Chronicles. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), Collins envisioned an urban twist: “In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find…? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander” (“Biography”).

Set in a fantastical, cavernous world beneath New York City, The Underland Chronicles series, in which the first book is Gregor the Overlander (2003), follows protagonist Gregor as he navigates a war-torn society of humans, giant bats, rats, and other creatures. The series has been translated into 21 languages and won multiple awards, including a Book Sense Children’s Pick and New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.

In 2010, Collins was named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people. In 2016, she “was presented with the […] Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community for exemplifying the unique power of young people’s literature to change lives and create lifelong book lovers” (“Biography”). She’s the first author of young adult literature ever to receive this honor. Collins lives in Connecticut with her husband and children, continuing to write and inspire readers.