Publisher announces ‘The Hunger Games Illustrated Edition’
(WISH) — A new edition of “The Hunger Games,” the first novel in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian series set in the land of Panem, will include words and pictures.
According to The Associated Press, “The Hunger Games Illustrated Edition” will be published Oct. 1, Scholastic announced Thursday. The book will feature more than 30 black-and-white drawings from Nico Delort, a visual artist based in Paris.
Delort’s art goes back to Collins’ text rather than riffing on the movies. For example, the film adaptations rendered the Cornucopia as a metallic monolith, only vaguely in the shape of a horn. Delort’s rendition makes it look more like a twisted Thanksgiving decoration, as you can see here.
“Certain illustrations made an indelible impression on me growing up, and the images are forever linked to books I love, including John Tenniel’s classic drawings for ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ and Fritz Eichenberg’s wood engravings for ‘Wuthering Heights,’” Collins said in the Scholastic news release. “I’m thrilled with Nico Delort’s striking black-and-white scratchboard artwork for ‘The Hunger Games’ and feel it will have the same lasting influence on a new generation of Panem readers.”
Scholastic gave fans an early peek at Delort’s rendition of the Cornucopia — the center of every Hunger Games arena, where many weapons and supplies are stored and therefore where many tributes meet their deaths early on — and of Prim Everdeen, the younger sister who inspires series protagonist Katniss Everdeen to volunteer as tribute in her place.
After all, it’s possible that The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has inspired a new generation of fans who may have missed out on the original run of books. Those new fans now have an enticing reason to check out Collins’ books, while longtime fans can experience The Hunger Games in an entirely new way.
Collins’ four “Hunger Games” books, which also include “Catching Fire,” “Mockingjay” and the prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. They’re the basis for a blockbuster movie franchise that helped make Jennifer Lawrence a superstar for her role as the heroine Katniss Everdeen.
Scholastic provided images in this story.