Born in Les Ulis, in the Essonne region of France, to a modest family, Michael Nicolau grew up fed by two seemingly opposite worlds: history and horror films.

From an early age, he was drawn to stories that told of people, places, and eras — but also to the kind of stories that plant doubt, fear, and the feeling that something is slipping just out of reach.

Among his influences, Pierre Bellemare holds a special place: his way of recounting true stories, bringing characters to life, and building suspense left a deep mark on him. Later, Stephen King's world fed his taste for horror, mystery, and stories where the everyday suddenly tips into the unsettling.

It's likely from this mix that his desire to write was born.

Years later, he chose to set his story in a place especially dear to him: Courson-Monteloup, his village of the heart. A real place, steeped in history, landscapes, and memories, which becomes in The Hemp Pond the setting for a story where the past sometimes never seems to want to disappear.

Through this novel, he wanted to weave together history, local roots, mystery, and horror — starting from a familiar place and taking the reader somewhere far darker.

The Hemp Pond was born from a simple idea: what if the places we think we know best are exactly the ones that still have the most secrets left to tell?