The Netflix Original Show they don’t know they need.
Kai writes…
Hello Michelle,
I am a huge fan of your books from Sweden. I started reading your books when they first appeared on the shelves here in Sweden and practically grew up with them. I remember how fascinated I was by every little detail and the way you described it as if you'd been there yourself. Maybe you were actually there somehow.
I am now grown up and came back to your books in audio form as a way to survive my daily commute. I am still just as astonished by them as I was almost 20 years ago.
It came to me in a dream as I was recently watching some shows on popular streaming sites that this is something that they truly don't have there. There is no show that does what your books did for me. I was questioning why they are making a show of Harry Potter which has already seen the theaters in film form and not your fantastic book series Wolf Brother.
I both hope that a great producer sees your books in a similar light as I do but I also hope not, I would hate to see someone not make your books justice, astonishing work.
I am sorry for the long text, but I do in fact also have a question. What was the process of putting yourself into the character's shoes
that enabled you to describe them as if you truly had experienced it yourself? Like the main protagonist, it almost seemed as if your souls had wandered into them and experienced the saga through their eyes.
Huge thanks for all of what you have given me,
best Regards,
Kai
Dear Kai, What a lovely message, thank you! And I’m really pleased that re-experiencing my stories as audiobooks has helped you survive your journey to work. Concerning film or tv adaptations of the Wolf Brother stories, as you may know, we’ve done several deals with production companies over the years, but they have always come to nothing in the end. Perhaps this is because the stories would be so difficult and expensive to film, particularly as Wolf would probably need to be computer-generated. Like you, I am in two minds about whether or not this is a good thing. On the one hand it would be great to see a really good adaptation which captures the spirit of the books. On the other hand, it would be dreadful to see a bad one.
Now for your question. The short answer is, I simply use my imagination – although it doesn’t all come at once, and it takes a great deal of time really to be in Torak’s world, so that I can experience what’s happening as if it were happening to me. (That’s probably why I live alone, and don’t even have a cat: no distractions!) Again, you put it very well when you liken the process of writing to spirit walking. Without wishing to self-aggrandize, that’s sometimes how it feels; although I suppose in psychological terms, it’s more a question of accessing my unconscious.
Again, thanks so much for getting in touch – and I hope you continue to enjoy the stories. With very best wishes, Michelle
Upcoming Live Events With Michelle
Incredible… Inspiring… In Person!
Hay Festival Book Club – Dark Matter
Michelle in conversation with Danny Robins - this is a FREE online event!
Timeless titles to offer you a break from the day to day. Can't decide what to read next? Follow your curiosity and join Hay Festival on a journey to imagine the world anew through great literature. Unconstrained by genre or form these are our monthly picks of great books worth reading (or re-reading) right now.
Register to watch free online
Tuesday 14 October, 7–8pm BST
Wimbledon Book Festival
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.
The Witching Hour with Bridget Collins, Michelle Paver and Laura Shepherd-Robinson – Waterstones Canterbury
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.
Yeovil Literary Festival
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.
Toppings Bookshop, Ely
It’s nearly Halloween! Where better to get in the Gothic mood than with Michelle’s spine-chilling world of the supernatural? Come along if you’re in the Ely area (book your place first) and enjoy a thrilling evening of shadows!
Venue: St Peter's Church
Broad Street,
Ely
Cambridgeshire CB7 4BB
Doors Open 6.40pm Start Time 7pm
Shadows and Spirits: Writing the Unseen
Step into the shadows with three masters of modern Gothic and supernatural fiction - Michelle, Syd Moore and CJ Cooke - as they explore why dark stories continue to captivate us. From haunted coastlines to Arctic wastelands, and from age-old folklore to the secrets of the human psyche, these acclaimed authors weave tales that blur the boundaries between the real and the uncanny. In this compelling conversation, they’ll discuss the enduring appeal of the Gothic, the influence of myth and landscape, and why stories of ghosts, spirits, and things unseen still resonate in today’s world. Expect insights, chills, and a celebration of fiction that thrives in the shadows. Tickets are limited so get them while you can!
Goldsboro Books
23-27 Cecil Court
London WC2N 4EZ
Time: 6.30pm (doors from 6pm)
Women in Horror Weekend
Come and celebrate Women in Horror Weekend with Waterstones Nottingham! Including author talks from the some of the best women writers in horror, a classic film screening and spooky goody bags and workshops from Lush Nottingham! Michelle will be in conversation with Julia Armfield on Saturday from 5;15pm onwards... See you there!
Waterstones Nottingham
1/5 Bridlesmith Gate
Nottingham NG1 2GR
Te. 0115 9470069
WINTER HAUNTS 2025
Online event! Ghost story, gothic and supernatural fiction day 10:30am - 6:30pm GMT... Michelle with Lucy Rose, Jess Kidd, Emilia Hart, CJ Cooke, Hollie Starling, Emma Glass. Connect with fellow fans of the strange, the eerie, and the otherworldly!
Oxford Literary Festival 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.