Michelle Paver's Blog, page 43

Locked In A Room With A Real Ghost!

The innovative prank video created to launch Michelle Paver’s ghost story, Thin Air, has been named by PR Week as one of the best publicity campaigns of the year.

It comes as Michelle’s top-ten bestseller Dark Matter is being produced by film production company Wildgaze, which had a major hit with Oscar-nominated Brooklyn. Wildgaze is jointly headed by Finola Dwyer (former Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee) and Amanda Posey (also Oscar and BAFTA nominated).

Meanwhile views for the Thin Air video to date are 5,784,559 (Facebook) and 143,761 (YouTube) totalling 5,928,320. “We will soon be comfortably over the 6 million mark,” said Peter Cox of Redhammer, Michelle Paver’s agent.

“No book video has come close to these numbers before. Most book videos are achingly dull. We wanted to talk to readers on their own own terms, in a fun but compelling way. People are still bitterly arguing over how we did it in the video comments. It just shows that books, like any other consumer product, can be marketed with great impact… if the will is there.”

The campaign was devised by Frank PR and the video directed by award-winning television director Andrew Gillman.

The video shows a group of people at a public reading from the book. However, during the reading, and using sophisticated and highly convincing special effects, the ghostly figure of the dead mountaineer from the novel is summoned up in the room in front of the audience. Pandemonium then ensues.

See the video here:

THIN AIR Video Shortlisted For PR Week’s 2017 Awards

The innovative prank video created to launch Michelle Paver’s ghost story, Thin Air, has been shortlisted by PR Week as one of the best publicity campaigns of the year.

It is up against four other contenders in the ‘Best Use of Content’ category, including Ebay, The National Trust and Otis Elevators.

The nomination comes as Paver’s top-ten bestseller Dark Matter is being produced by Wildgaze, which had a major hit with Oscar-nominated Brooklyn. Wildgaze is Finola Dwyer, former Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, recently recognized in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the film industry; and Amanda Posey, also Oscar and BAFTA nominated.

Meanwhile views for the Thin Air video to date are 5,784,559 (Facebook) and 143,761 (YouTube) totalling 5,928,320. “We will be comfortably over the 6 million mark by the time the paperback is published by Orion in October,” said Peter Cox of Redhammer, Michelle Paver’s agent.

“No book video has come close to these numbers before. Most book videos are achingly dull. We wanted to talk to readers on their own own terms, in a fun but compelling way. People are still bitterly arguing over how we did it in the video comments. It just shows that books, like any other consumer product, can be marketed with great impact… if the will is there.”

The campaign was devised by Frank PR and the video directed by award-winning television director Andrew Gillman.

The video shows a group of people at a public reading from the book. However, during the reading, and using sophisticated and highly convincing special effects, the ghostly figure of the dead mountaineer from the novel is summoned up in the room in front of the audience. Pandemonium then ensues.

See the video here:

Q&A With Michelle

If you have a question for Michelle, submit it here and she’ll answer it on a forthcoming video.

The Mediterranean Comes To Stockholm

“On my recent trip to Stockholm”, writes Michelle, “I was delighted to spend time with my friends at the fabulous Mediterranean Museum (Medelhavsmuseet).

Michelle with amulet

I’ve been before, and always found it hugely inspiring, particularly for my Bronze Age series Gods and Warriors. I love the spooky throng of ancient Cypriot votive statues which greets you when you walk in. And the brilliant Ancient Egyptian exhibition, with its mummified crocodiles, evocative displays of everyday life, and CAT-scanned mummy of Neswaiu. This shows the golden falcon amulet still lying undisturbed on the mummy’s breast, as no doubt Neswaiu would have wanted. (Dimitra Polidis of the Museum kindly gave me a replica amulet, which I’ll treasure.)

Afternoon tea at the Museum

Everything about this Museum is designed to fire the imagination and instill a love of the ancient world – and it succeeds brilliantly. While I was there, I heard about a ten-year-old girl who used to visit the Museum so regularly that she became a sort of unofficial guide – and grew up to be an archaeologist, directly inspired by the Museum. What a marvelous story. Long may the Museum and its wonderful staff prosper!

I look forward to many more fascinating visits!”

Inspiring Times At Stockholm’s Mediterranean Museum

“On my recent trip to Stockholm”, writes Michelle, “I was delighted to spend time with my friends at the fabulous Mediterranean Museum (Medelhavsmuseet).

Michelle with amulet

I’ve been before, and always found it hugely inspiring, particularly for my Bronze Age series Gods and Warriors. I love the spooky throng of ancient Cypriot votive statues which greets you when you walk in. And the brilliant Ancient Egyptian exhibition, with its mummified crocodiles, evocative displays of everyday life, and CAT-scanned mummy of Neswaiu. This shows the golden falcon amulet still lying undisturbed on the mummy’s breast, as no doubt Neswaiu would have wanted. (Dimitra Polidis of the Museum kindly gave me a replica amulet, which I’ll treasure.)

Afternoon tea at the Museum

Everything about this Museum is designed to fire the imagination and instill a love of the ancient world – and it succeeds brilliantly. While I was there, I heard about a ten-year-old girl who used to visit the Museum so regularly that she became a sort of unofficial guide – and grew up to be an archaeologist, directly inspired by the Museum. What a marvelous story. Long may the Museum and its wonderful staff prosper!

I look forward to many more fascinating visits!”

Dived Bombed By A Peregrine Falcon

Recording the AudioBook for Thin Air

Michelle and narrator Daniel Weyman taking a break during the recording

 

“This is going to be up there with the very best audiobooks of my stories, ever!”

That’s what Michelle said when she emerged from the recording studio after a monster 2-day recording session with Daniel Weyman.

“My role when they’re recording the audiobook is to help the reader and director with pronouncing tricky words, and to make the tea”, she said.  “The bonus is that I get to listen to a first-rate actor interpret my work. So far, we’ve had the miraculous Ian McKellen reading the CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS, and the hugely talented Jeremy Northam doing DARK MATTER: fabulous readings, all.

Daniel prepares to give a spine-tingling performance!

Now I’m delighted to report that Daniel Weyman has just recorded a totally amazing audiobook of THIN AIR.  He sounds spookily like the hero, Stephen, as I heard him in my head when I was writing the story – and his reading was gripping, vivid and utterly immersive. But what surprised me was how he was able to ramp up the tension and the emotional intensity, so that at times I was even more frightened and moved than when I actually wrote the story – and that’s never happened before.

This is going to be up there with the very best audiobooks of my stories, ever!

Thanks, Daniel. Nice one!”

Click here to order the audiobook!

Michelle’s UK Ghost Tour!

As the shadows grow longer and Halloween looms, what better time could there be for a spine-tingling ghost story? That’s what Michelle will soon be bringing you, in person – if you’re lucky enough to live close to one of these venues!

So do come along and say hello – Michelle loves meeting her readers, and will be pleased to sign a book or two. Here are the latest dates for your diary – check back regularly, more dates and venues will be added soon!

Thursday 6th October

7:30pm

WIMBLEDON, LONDON

7:30pm, Wimbledon Book Festival. Michelle will give a talk about her latest ghost story Thin Air on its publication date, followed by a book signing. Michelle grew up in Wimbledon…"It is wonderful to welcome her again to Wimbledon BookFest", say the organisers of the festival, "even if she promises macabre mountain madness!"

Saturday 8th October

6:30pm

LETCHWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE

Davids Bookshop, 14 Eastcheap, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3DE. Michelle will give a talk followed by a book signing – tickets £5 deducted against book bought on night.

11th October

7:30pm

ILKLEY, YORKSHIRE

Ilkley Literature Festival, Ilkley Playhouse – Wildman. Talk followed by Q&A.

12th October

7:30pm

HESWALL, WIRRALL, MERSEYSIDE

Linghams Bookshop, 248 Telegraph Road, Heswall, Wirrall, CH60 7SG. Talk followed by a book signing.

18th October

7:30pm

ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Toppings Bookshop, 9 High Street, Ely CB7 4LJ. Talk followed by Q&A and book signing.

19th October

7:45pm

BATH, SOMERSET

Toppings Bookshop, The Paragon, 7 Bladud Buildings, Bath BA1 5LS. Talk followed by Q&A and book signing.

1st November

7:00pm

YORK, YORKSHIRE

Waterstones York, 15 Coney Street, York, YO1 9QL. Talk followed by Q&A and book signing.

5th November

Afternoon

LONDON, LANCASTER GATE

YOU Magazine Christmas Book Day at the Lancaster Hotel, London. Talk with Margaret Drabble and Polly Samson.

 

Michelle’s UK Tour Dates

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Warrior Bronze