The Prisoner of Zenda By Anthony Hope Anthony Hope Hawkins, better known as Anthony Hope was an English novelist and playwright. He was a prolific writer, especially of adventure novels. He is remembered best for two books, considered classics of English literature, included in this volume: The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau (1898). These works are set in the contemporaneous fictional country of Ruritania and spawned the genre known as Ruritanian romance. Zenda has inspired many adaptations, including a 1937 Hollywood movie.