Writer and editor Matt Henderson Ellis grew up in the Midwest of the United States, and received a degree in literature from Bennington College, in Vermont. After buying a one-way ticket to Prague (then, of Czechoslovakia), he taught English and tended bar, an experience he would later draw upon for his first novel. Before going freelance, he worked in many capacities, from the editorial department of Doubleday & Co. to helping out at a few boutique literary agencies in New York City. Later, he founded a small but influential literary review that is now archived in the Nobel Library in Sweden. He kick-started his own writing career as a food journalist and continues to write about culture and cuisine for outlets like Vice’s food channel Munchies, alongside his career as a conventionally published fiction writer. You can find his dedicated writer’s website here.

For several years, he trained as a Muay Thai fighter. He ‘retired’ with a record of 0-1.

Finally, he has a certificate in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) from Palouse Mindfulness, which he puts to great use when coaching writers.