‘Rich and powerful’
- O, The Oprah Magazine


Beasts of Prey is the highly acclaimed debut from exciting new talent Ayana Gray who is taking the world, and TikTok, by storm. Spotlighted as one to watch in The New York Times, United by Pop, Bustle, Buzzfeed and POPSUGAR, it has been heralded by critics as ‘the next big thing in YA Fantasy’. Beasts of Prey has secured the coveted title of a New York Times bestseller and is soon to be adapted as a major film by Netflix.

An extraordinary adventure inspired by Pan-African mythology and the first in a standout new fantasy trilogy weaving monsters, mythos and magic in one unforgettable adventure.

In the broken city of Lkossa sixteen-year-old Koffi, a beast-keeper in a magical zoo, is kept against her will desperately seeking freedom.

Ekon, son of a decorated hero, is a warrior in training desperately seeking honour.

One night their paths cross in an unexpected way and they find themselves in the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild magic and untold dangers, the tentative alliance between them is tested to the extreme.

The hunt begins - but are they the hunters or the hunted?

Beasts of Prey will be published under the Penguin imprint.

Ayana Gray is a lover of all things monsters and magic. Originally an Atlanta native, she now lives in sunny Florida where she writes fantastical stories, follows Formula One racing, and worries over her adopted baby rhino, Apollo.

TikTok  @ayanagray 
Twitter @AyanaGray 
Instagram @ayanagray_ ​

‘I am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good.’
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‘(An) intense, unputdownable debut that will doubtless spark conversation about what makes a good or bad mother.’ Oprah Daily
 
Frida Liu is a struggling mother. She remembers taking Harriet from her cot and changing her nappy.
She remembers giving her a morning bottle. They'd been up since four am.
 
Frida just had to finish the article in front of her. But she'd left a file on her desk at work. What would happen if she retrieved it and came back in an hour? She was so sure it would be okay. Now, the state has decided that Frida is not fit to care for her daughter. That she must be re-trained. Soon, mothers everywhere will be re-educated. Will their mistakes cost them everything?
 
Acquired at a major auction this is a searing page-turner that is also a transgressive novel of ideas about the perils of “perfect” upper-middle class parenting; the violence enacted upon women by   both the state and, at times, one another; the systems that separate families; and the boundlessness    of love, The School for Good Mothers introduces, in Frida, an everywoman for the ages. Using dark wit to explore the pains and joys of the deepest ties that bind us, Chan has written a modern literary classic. For fans of Margaret Atwood and Kiley Reid’s Such A Fun Age.
 
Jessamine Chan holds an MFA from Columbia University, where she was awarded a teaching fellowship. Her short fiction has appeared in Tin House and Epoch. Her work has also received support from Bread Loaf, the Wurlitzer Foundation, Jentel, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, the Anderson Center, VCCA, and Ragdale. Prior to moving to Philadelphia, where she lives with her husband and daughter, she worked as a nonfiction reviews editor at Publishers Weekly.
 
Hollywood star Jessica Chastain has optioned The School for Good Mothers through her production company Freckle Films and will be adapting it for the small screen alongside Taiwanese-born American director and writer Jude Weng (Blackish, The Good Place and Young Sheldon)

Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution announced that Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” will premiere exclusively in homes worldwide on Disney+ on Friday, March 11.​

“Disney+ subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar’s Academy Award-winning ‘Soul’ and the critically-acclaimed “Luca” when they premiered exclusively on the service and we look forward to bringing them Pixar’s next incredible feature film ‘Turning Red’,” said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world.”
Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! Directed by Academy Award® winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”) and produced by Lindsey Collins “Turning Red'' releases on March 11, 2022.

In international markets where Disney+ is not yet available, the film will be released theatrically, with premiere dates to be announced.