About this episode

The episode explores the themes of rebellion and violence in The Hunger Games and its reflection on modern America.

What does The Hunger Games say about the state of modern America? How did reality TV inspire The Hunger Games? Why did Suzanne Collin's novel become such a sensation with young adults? Join Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett as they delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of The Hunger Games, the world it was born of, and the novel itself. Email us: ⁠⁠thebookclub@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@bookclubpodhq⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@thebookclubpodhq⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠@bookclubpodhq⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠@TheBookClubPodHQ⁠⁠ Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen Assistant Producer: Alfie Norris Social Producer: Harry Balden Video Editor: Lorcan Moullier Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Dominic Sandbrook

Guest: Tabitha Syrett

Topics covered

• dystopian literature
• modern America
• reality TV
• young adult fiction
• writing process

Keywords

• The Hunger Games
• Suzanne Collins
• dystopia
• reality TV
• young adults
• literature analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Suzanne Collins

Books & works: The Hunger Games

More episodes of The Book Club

• 15. Mrs Dalloway: Woolf, Sexuality, and Change · May 25, 2026 · 1h 24m
• 14. Beloved: Memory, Morrison, and Modern American Fiction · May 18, 2026 · 1h 20m
• 13. The Woman In White: Victorians, Sensation, and Scandal · May 11, 2026 · 1h 12m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Book Club podcast page.