The Forest is central to Torak’s world, and it has always struck me as a bit ironic that in order to make the paper to bring readers Torak’s story, masses of trees have to be cut down.

However, some forms of paper are more environmentally friendly than others.  For instance, some paper comes from trees which have been cut down illegally, endangering the animals and plants that live there.  On the other hand, some forests are managed more responsibly, by replacing the cut-down trees with saplings.

To my knowledge, the best and most widely accepted standard for such environmentally sustainable forestry is that of the Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC.  This promotes responsible forest management, respects indigenous cultures (eg hunter-gathering people), preserves the different animals and plants that live there, and conserves ancient forests.

So I’m enormously pleased that as from early 2009, all UK editions of the CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS (and DARK MATTER) have been printed on FSC-certified paper.  This wasn’t the case before then (although I’ve wanted it from the start), because getting certification is a complex and lengthy process.  But it’s been worth it.  And I know that Torak would approve.