From Valda

From Gruhuken to Wakenhyrst

From Gruhuken to Wakenhyrst
Valda Writes…

Valda writes…

Hello Michelle.
(I don’t expect a reply to this message) I contacted you recently and mentioned that while we were having a heatwave in Suffolk, I decided to re-read Dark Matter, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Aside from the isolation, claustrophobia and terror, obviously.

It was interesting you mentioning that a publisher had recently said that readers don’t like ghost stories in the summer, whereas I would have to disagree. The glory of a book is that it can take you to another place entirely. Hence enjoying the arctic while it was 85 degrees at home.

Which brings me to Wakenhyrst. I was lucky enough to have you visit my shop to do an event in 2019 – Waterstones in Bury St Edmunds – and I remember reading and loving Wakenhyrst. Revisiting it recently – in the height of summer here – made me appreciate even more the dankness of the whole thing. It was downright dark, moist and damp and altogether pretty boggy and offensive.
I could have wept for poor Maud having her whole life ruled by a narcissistic, misogynistic father, and reading the book second time around I think I felt almost as terrified of the behaviour of him as I did the other sinister goings on.
Not to mention learning of Richard Dadd then falling down a Google rabbit hole at ten to midnight one night and then wondering why I couldn’t sleep.

Thanks so much for your stories. And your talent. I can’t wait to read ‘Rainforest’.

Michelle Replies…

Dear Valda, I know you said no need to reply, but your message was so delightful I couldn’t resist.  I remember that event in Bury St Edmunds, it was one of the best ones of recent years; and it’s brilliant that you’ve enjoyed revisiting Wakenhyrst.  I was also interested in your comment about finding Maud’s father almost as frightening as the story’s supernatural elements.  The same thing struck me when I was writing the story.  That happens sometimes, and it’s never planned, but it’s one of the fascinating things about the writing process.  Finally, I had to laugh (and give a sympathetic wince) over your late-night Googling.  Down a rabbit-hole with Richard Dadd: not a comforting place to be.  No wonder you couldn’t sleep!  Thanks again – and I hope you enjoy Rainforest, as and when.  With very best wishes, Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

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Wimbledon Book Festival

October 17, 2025
Festival patron and Sunday Times bestselling author Michelle Paver will talk about her latest supernatural fiction in this live recording with Always Take Notes, a podcast for and about writers and writing.

Michelle will discuss her incredible career, from finding inspiration for Wolf Brother on Wimbledon Common to her latest novel Rainforest, which weaves Mayan culture with themes of obsession, gender and rebirth.

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The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury

October 20, 2025

Join Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Sheperd-Robinson as they discuss their stories in a brand new collection of ghostly tales called The Witching Hour.

In this dazzling collection of original haunted tales, thirteen bestselling and much-loved authors bring the old superstition of the witching hour to new and vivid life.
Transporting you from the smog of London to the freezing mists of Svalbard, from an Irish town riddled with rumour to a sinister English boarding school, these thirteen stories will serve as your spine tingling companion to the long hours of winter.
So curl up, light a candle, and wait for the clock to strike . . .
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Yeovil Literary Festival

October 25, 2025

An experience like no other. From a writer like no other...

Successfully published as an adult author, the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (“Wolf Brother”) were her first books for younger readers, followed by her brilliant 5-part series set in the bronze age, Gods and Warriors. On the adult side, her first ghost story, Dark Matter, was a UK bestseller and won massive praise from reviewers and readers alike, as did her second ghost story, Thin Air.

Oxford Literary Festival 2026

March 29, 2026

The Oxford Literary Festival takes place in venues across central Oxford, such as Blackwell's bookshop, the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theatre, the Weston Library, and Oxford colleges such as Christ Church and Worcester College. The festival includes international authors, journalists, intellectuals, historians, and poets.