Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by fantasy. I devoured stories like Gone, De Macht van het Zwaard, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter — anything that could transport me to another world. When I was young, I used to sneak books under my pillow so my parents wouldn’t notice. I’d wait until they said goodnight, then switch on the small lamp by my bed and lose myself in those endless worlds.
Years later, my father told me he’d known all along — the light was clearly visible under the door. He smiled and said, “If I tricked you into reading because you thought it was forbidden, I did a great job.” And he was right.
Today, I’m a writer — and I’ve just finished my first novel: The Way of the World, a 500-page fantasy about power, belief, and the search for meaning. As a creative person who’s spent years exploring theatre, writing, and Dungeons & Dragons, I’ve always needed a space to create. I found that space in this story.
Outside of writing, I teach at Utrecht University, and in the evenings, I return to the world that’s lived in my mind for years — the one that became The Way of the World. I hope this book brings you a fraction of the joy it brought me to write it.