The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness

Ask Michelle Anything

Noah writes…

To Michelle paver
My name is Noah White. I’m eleven years old. I have a pet cat called Lottie a gecko called gex and nine fish. The Chronicles of ancient darkness is my favourite series of books. I started reading them at the beginning of this year when our teacher read us wolf brother as part of our topic and ever since then I’ve been going through all of the nine books and i finished them. I’ve also started listening to the audiobooks read by Sir Ian mckellan which are absolutely amazing I have just finished the audiobook of Soul Eater which was definitely the best one yet. A question I would like to ask is did you get a say in who read your books or did the publishers decide for you and if you did what made you choose Ian McKellen. My favourite Soul Eater is seshru because I really like snakes and I like how you’ve done that she’s got like a pointed tongue and I thought that she was the best Soul Eater. One last question I would like to ask what made you have the idea to create seshru the way you did. Your books are so well written and really good so I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the audiobooks
from Noah white

Michelle Replies…

Dear Noah, I’m delighted that you’ve enjoyed the books so much, and that you’re now working your way through Ian McKellen’s magnificent audiobooks!  The publishers did indeed let me have a say in who was to read my stories, and in fact it was my agent Peter who managed to get Ian to read them.  Before Wolf Brother was published, he met Ian at a drinks party and told him about my new story,  parts of which were written from a wolf’s point of view.  That interested Ian enough to ask for a copy, and a few days later he told Peter that he would read it.  I was doing research in Greenland at the time, and when Peter sent me a message telling me this, I was over the moon!  I had always been a huge admirer of Ian’s work (including his portrayal of Macbeth and his films of Richard III and The Lord of the Rings), so I knew he would do an amazing job.  So that’s how it started.  And I was lucky enough to be present at every day of every recording of the books, which has been a real treat over the years.

Your second question concerns Seshru, and I’m really glad that she’s your favourite.  I always knew she would be beautiful and cunning, partly because of her relationship to another character in the stories (I’m not naming them as that would be a spoiler, but I’m sure you can guess who I mean); and  I made her more snake-like by meeting some snakes; which wasn’t a hardship, as I like snakes too.  She was enormously fun to write about, so I’m delighted that you like reading about her.  Thank you very much for getting in touch, and I hope you continue to enjoy Ian’s magical readings of the stories.  May the guardian run with you!  With best wishes, Michelle


Upcoming Live Events With Michelle

Incredible… Inspiring… In Person!

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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.

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.