Thank-You from the bottom of my heart

Ask Michelle Anything

Liam writes…

Dear Michelle,

Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for books you have written. They gave me an anchor into something deeper, truer and more mystical than I could ever have stumbled across otherwise. I found true companionship with the characters and guidance from the elders in those books that was unavailable to me elsewhere. Having grown up in a very repressive situation, your books gave me a sanctuary away from the harshness of the modern world. Despite being raised in a military family with little exposure to other cultures or customs, these books gave me a way out, a nostalgia for something I had never experienced but was more familiar and meaningful to me than anything I had encountered. Your words left a primal imprint on my psyche that has been whispering to me in times of strife throughout my teens and well into my adulthood. After many years of being lost, directionless and under enormous pressure from my family and peers to conform, I have finally received the call loud and clear. Today, as so many narratives built on shaky ground begin to fall around us, I feel so grounded and firm in my place on this Earth thanks to your writing which gave voice to the deepest and most repressed parts of myself.

I am far from where I grew up, but closer to the feeling of home than I have ever been. I am 28 years old, with a restored relationship with my family, living on a narrowboat, studying Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Bristol with a special interest in Archaeoacoustics, Folk Religion and Ritual studies. Thank-you for helping me find my way home.

My greatest appreciation,
Liam

Michelle Replies…

Dear Liam,

When I read your message it brought tears to my eyes.  Over the years, certain books have given me companionship when I’ve needed it, and I’m truly glad that my stories have been able to do this for you.

You write about what you have gone through with such clarity, perception  and self-knowledge that  I’ve no doubt you have chosen a path that is right for you. I can only add that I’m delighted that this includes studying Archaeology and Anthropology – not least as it’s what I would have studied had I not fallen in love with Biochemistry.  As for living on a narrowboat, I envy you that.  The opportunities for being close to nature must be truly special (depending on where you’re moored, of course.!) .

Again, thank you for letting me know how my stories have helped you.  I shan’t forget what you have said.

With very best wishes for a long, happy life rich in experience.

Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

Incredible… Inspiring… In Person!

Only 49 days to grab your ticket!

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.

Only 52 days to grab your ticket!

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 . . .
Only 57 days to grab your ticket!

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.