Wolf Brother questions: Setting of book and wolf question

Ask Michelle Anything

Aiyana writes…

Dear Michael,
I am a huge fan of yours and I’ve always wondered is there a specific place you describe when you talk about where Torak grew up in Wolf Brother, if so could you please tell me where because I love wolves and the forest so I really want to visit a place like that, and your books seemed perfect.
When you talk about wolf what type of wolf are you talking about? And have you ever met a wolf in person? If you have please could you tell me where as it is my dream to see one.
I have loved reading Wolf Brother and Spirit Walker and I can’t wait to read the others.
????????????????????????????????????????????????

Michelle Replies…

Dear Aiyana,

I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my books.  I set them in northern Scandinavia (that’s northern Norway and Sweden), but I have changed the geography a bit, for instance, the mountains and rivers, so that in real life you won’t find anything that corresponds exactly to the map of the Forest in the books.  (I explain this in more detail in the Author’s Note at the end of each book.)  However if you just want to get the feel of Torak’s Forest, northern Norway, Sweden or Finland would be a good place to go.

As regards wolves, Wolf is simply Canis lupus, ie a wolf, of the kind indigenous to Scandinavia.  I have indeed met wolves for my research many times over the years.  That was at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust near Reading (again, I mention this in the Author’s Note) – but I’m afraid that the Trust is now closed to the public.  I don’t know whether you live in England, but I believe there are a few places where you can see wolves  in England.  Best to Google them.  I don’t know about other countries, but I’m aure there are some.  It would be great if you could get along to see some real wolves at close quarters, as they really are quite unlike dogs.  I certainly found it invaluable to see them close up.  They are incredibly charismatic creatures!

I hope this helps, and that before too long, you can get to see some wolves!

Best wishes, 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.