A Little about Alex and Matt

Alex Werlich and Matt Rensman met many years ago underneath a rabbit hill. Little did they know it was the beginning of something magical. Both passionate about writing, drawing, and adventures, they soon found themselves partners in crime.

After settling in the lively port city of Rotterdam, Alex and Matt decided to pursue their long-lasting dream of creating an upper MG fantasy series. Gathering from Alex’s bi-cultural heritage (Dutch and Indonesian), a girl with eyebrows like hairy caterpillars finds herself on a grand journey, looking for friendship and a place to call home. Championing feminism and diversity, RHA and THE HIDDEN WORLD OF SHADES is chock-full of unmet characters, engrossing storytelling that shakes up tropes, and unexpected events in a world that is a lot less of a fairytale than at first glance.

Alex and Matt both have a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and, hungry for more, Matt got his master’s in cultural anthropology and development sociology, while Alex holds a master’s in clinical child and adolescent studies—both at the University of Leiden.

When not writing, world-building, or painting, the Dutch duo Alex and Matt enjoy nightly walks and traveling off the beaten path. Alex loves art, movies, and above all, good food—she has, however, never done a day’s cooking in her life. Matt, in contrast, is an excellent chef, and although he doesn’t like to cook at all, he does it anyway to make Alex happy. He has green fingers and is currently obsessed with bouldering. They’d like to own three German Shepards and a cottage in the woods, but for now, Woensel, Ortega, and Waldecki will have to wait. Who knows? Maybe one day.