Michelle Paver is a British novelist, born on 7 September 1960. She is renowned for her children's historical fantasy series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, set in prehistoric Europe, which began with Wolf Brother in 2004. The series has sold more than 2.5 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages.

Born in Nyasaland (now Malawi), she moved to England as a young child. Paver initially pursued a career as a lawyer before becoming a full-time writer. She is also the author of the children's series Gods and Warriors, as well as novels for adults, including the Daughters of Eden trilogy and several standalone books.

Michelle's fascination with animals, anthropology, and the distant past, along with an encounter with a large bear in a remote valley in southern California, inspired the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. Her research for the books has taken her to Finland, Greenland, Sweden, Norway, Arctic Canada, and the Carpathian Mountains. She has experienced unique adventures like sleeping on reindeer skins, swimming with wild orcas, and getting up close with polar bears and wolves.