It is a combination of my real name and the pet name my mum (for reasons even she does not remember) used when I was a child. This blog is about work and play, seriousness and fun, and the combination of two names communicates just that. Or so I hope.

My official name is Coco d’Hont (yes, really). I am a researcher and writer educated in the UK and the Netherlands. Most of my work focuses on contemporary culture: literature, film, and occasional forays into music. I like horror, metal music, and all things weird and wonderful (well, most of them…).

When I’m not working, I play. I’m an amateur creative writer, painter and illustrator. I’m the proud owner of a brown belt in shotokan karate. I love nature, hiking, running and yoga, preferably combined in some way or another.

For me these activities are not mere hobbies. Creativity does not always involve pencils, paint, or poetry. It is also the ability to ask questions, to come up with unexpected solutions, to consider alternative perspectives.

Who says academics need to be serious all the time, and work seven days a week? Actually, many people do. But I believe it is possible, and even necessary, to do things differently. I produce my best work when I play. And on this blog, I do both.