Supporting the National Year of Reading 2026
A Q&A with Michael Ford aka Erin Hunter!
Hello Michael, and welcome to the team! You are the newest Erin Hunter writer, with the launch of the brand-new series Renegades. However, you’re not entirely new to the team, are you? Could you tell us about your role in Bravelands?
Hello Vicky – and Erin fans! I’m so excited to be writing the new series, as I’ve long been a fan of Erin Hunter’s books. But as you say, I’m not new to this world. For many years, I’ve been working on the storylines for other Erin series, most notably as the Commissioning Editor on Bravelands, which I adored. I’ve been in publishing for more than twenty years, and most of that time has been spent at Working Partners, the creators of the Erin books. Over the years, I’ve written many book series, under many pseudonyms, but this is my first time wielding Erin’s pen.
You clearly have a firm grasp on the Erin world, its values, themes, and the part played by the natural world in the lives of our characters. But Renegades is a departure from the norm in more ways than one. Please could you tell us a little about the premise for this fabulous new series?
Renegades, like all the Erin Hunter series, a story about finding your place in the world, overcoming obstacles, and resolving conflicts and dilemmas with integrity, compassion and courage. Erin has explored all of these themes using dozens of different animal species, but in Renegades the story is again told through a feline point of view.
Warriors touched on plenty of spiritual elements, but Renegades leans much more heavily into fantasy. The main characters Luna and Willow seem at the outset to be two young littermates struggling for survival in a tough city environment, but they quickly learn there’s a lot more going on. Animals in this world are split into two groups – the attuned, who can channel a magical energy called ‘anima’, and the mundane, who cannot. The attuned animals band together in magical covens, mixing species together in way that might seem surprising, with traditional prey and predator living side-by-side. All attuned animals can understand each other … and they understand some humans too, namely witches.
Witchcraft and a modern urban setting – not to mention close interaction with Twolegs – are all new themes for Erin. It’s hard to imagine the heroes of Renegades encountering a Clan of scruffy feral cats in their universe! What will our readers find familiar about this series?
You’re right that the involvement of humans is the biggest departure from the previous Erin series. In the Renegades world, attuned animals are much sought after by human witches, who need a familiar in order to perform magic themselves. Some animals are happy to be ‘bound’ to a human witch, but others despise the idea and fight to free the bound. Others just want to live in peace. Every coven of creatures has a different outlook on the world, with its own priorities and culture. However, although there are humans, this is still Erin Hunter, so everything is told from the perspective of the animal characters – Luna and Willow – who go on very different journeys. As with Warriors, themes of prophecy and destiny play a big part in the story, as Luna and Willow try to understand one another and the new world around them. Alliances are formed, oaths are made and broken, and there are moments of bravery and shocking revelation.
What I love about the Erin Hunter books is the sense that the story we’re telling is just a glimpse at a much larger canvas, stretching back many generations and one that will continue far into the future. As with the clans of Warriors, there are hundreds of characters one could follow in Renegades, and infinite stories to tell.
You have a very successful career as an author of everything from magical football stories to high octane crime thrillers. What is different about writing as part of the Erin team, and are there any advantages, in your experience? For me, it’s that I am never alone with an empty document in front of me. There is always an editor or co-author to reach out to for inspiration or simply a reminder that deadlines are looming!
I’ve written quite a wide range of books over the years, mainly for young readers, but also for adults. I don’t really see a great difference between the two – it’s all about creating an exciting story in which readers can lose themselves. The best thing about working on an Erin Hunter series is the sense that a team of people are all pulling in the same direction. The editors are so familiar with Erin’s world, and what her readers enjoy, that I know the storyline itself will be brilliant – full of drama, heart, and action. All I have to do is bring it to life on the page.
But let’s not talk about deadlines. I’m with the great Douglas Adams, who famously said: “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
One of my favourite parts of writing is that I get to carry my readers on a journey through challenging situations and big emotions that I have experienced myself. I want to show them that the human spirit can cope with pretty much anything and often emerge stronger and better than before. I also try to celebrate difference, to show that we can live in a million different ways with shared values of kindness, balance and integrity. What do you like most about being a writer?
I agree with what you say about difference. In Renegades, the two sisters Luna and Willow are driven apart by circumstance, misunderstanding and those who mean them ill. They go from devoted littermates to bitter enemies, unable to see the world through the other’s eyes. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of each cat, but I hope readers will be rooting for both.
It might just be me, but I find that writing a manuscript from a close point-of-view is a bit like acting in many ways – you put yourself in the character’s shoes and that immerses you deeper in their world. You FEEL their journey as you write, which makes the process exhilarating and almost real. Now obviously, I am not a cat, but through the process of writing Renegades, I sometimes feel like one, seeing the world from knee-height, navigating a dangerous environment on four paws. I empathise strongly with both Luna and Willow, despite them not seeing eye-to-eye.
Real life is often messy, random and unfair, but in crafting stories we can give structure to events, and achieve a sort of poetic justice. By the end of a story, I want the reader to feel a sense of closure – obstacles have been overcome, mysteries have been revealed, and goodness has paid off.
Finally, just for fun, Warriors fans know that I am passionate about horses, dogs and chocolate, and will do anything for a freshly-baked cookie! What are some of your favourite things?
I enjoy a fairly quiet existence. When I’m not reading or writing, I like to do crossword puzzles, cook, and go hiking in the countryside with my family and our two dogs.
Also, I have an admission that should probably have discounted me from any involvement with Renegades: I’m actually allergic to cats. I love them, but one stroke and the itching starts. After that it’s bloodshot eyes and uncontrollable sneezing. If I were a witch, I’d have to opt for a dog familiar.
Renegades: The Magic Awakens
Willow and Luna have been on their own since they were kittens. After their mother’s death, they settled into a scrappy life in the heart of the city. But when a mysterious fire rips through their makeshift shelter, they’re left searching for a new home.
Luna is immediately drawn in by the strange, secretive animals they meet in the park – animals who unlock her ability to perform magic. Willow is less sure about these so-called ‘attuned’ animals and has no interest in joining their world – or their fight against the human witches who seek to ‘bind’ the animals to them.
As Luna and Willow come to realise their own unique magic, they find themselves at odds, separated by destiny, with the fate of the whole city in their paws…
