The best birthday present I ever got

Ask Michelle Anything

Ophelia May writes…

Dear Michelle,

Hello – my name is Ophelia Gillyon. I actually met you once! My parents got me into a visit at what I think was the Reading Wolf Conservation Trust for my 13th birthday – in 2009! Good grief! – to speak with you and walk with wolves. I’d loved the Chronicles ever since I picked up Wolf Brother in ‘05. I definitely wasn’t the only kid there, so I have no idea if you’ll remember me or not, but I had really, really long hair and, on the day, I went absolutely mental churning out the best wolf-related sample of prose for you that I could muster.

I’m 26 now, and I still look back on this as the best birthday present I ever got. I went on to do an English degree, and attribute much of my love for the subject to the intense connection I had to your series as a kid. I’m so excited to pick up the most recent instalments!

I wish I had a picture of me winning my primary school’s World Book Day costume contest, dressed up as a little Torak. I hope this suffices instead.

Thanks so much again for everything.

Ophelia

Michelle Replies…

Dear Ophelia,

What a long time ago the UKWCT feels like, and I think I can recall a long-haired and very excited little girl, chiefly because of her very wolfy prose.  It’s marvellous to hear that you went on to get an English degree – many congratulations – and I’m chuffed that my stories may have played their part in fostering a love of English.  I really hope you enjoy the last three instalments of the series!

Thanks again for getting in touch.

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.