An Interview with Ellen van Schoten

Ellen van Schoten is a Dutch author, artist and music enthusiast with a lifelong fascination for history, architecture, and the arts. She is the author of The Boy Who Lost His Voice, published in English by Atmosphere Press on 27 October 2026.

Set in Delft, the Netherlands, and travelling through England and Wales, the novel follows eleven-year-old Willem, who suddenly loses his singing voice. Accompanied by Andries, a priest and trusted companion, Willem embarks on a journey that brings together music, architecture, history, spirituality, and friendship.

The book is illustrated with more than 130 original black-and-white drawings by the author, depicting cathedrals, historic buildings, and cityscapes. For Ellen, words, images and music are closely connected, each offering a different way of exploring the past and understanding the world.

Alongside her creative work, Ellen has had a distinguished career in public service and university leadership, including serving as Secretary-General of the Netherlands Court of Audit and as Vice-President of Erasmus University Rotterdam.

She lives in Delft, where her love of music, drawing, historic architecture, and literature continues to inspire her writing.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The story actually began with the drawings, rather than with the writing. I had made a large collection of drawings of cathedrals, churches, and historic buildings in England and Wales. Many of these places were already very familiar to me, not only because I had visited and drawn them, but also because I had sung in choirs in several of these cathedrals. Singing in those magnificent spaces left a deep impression on me. Their architecture, atmosphere, and acoustics became part of my own experience.

At some point, I began to feel that the drawings were telling a story of their own. I wanted to bring these places together in a narrative, so I started writing about a young boy from Delft who loses his singing voice and travels through England and Wales with a priest named Andries.

The title, The Boy Who Lost His Voice, emerged from the central idea of the story. It was not so much a matter of searching endlessly for the right title; once I understood what Willem’s journey was about, the title seemed to fall into place.

In a way, the book brings together three things that have been important throughout my life: drawing, music, and a fascination with history and architecture.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was absolutely delighted when I first saw the cover and held the book in my hands. It was a very special moment, because something that had started with my drawings and gradually developed into a story had finally become a real book.

The whole process of creating it has been incredibly valuable to me. I have learned so much, not only about the many steps involved in writing, illustrating, designing, and publishing a book, but also about everything that comes afterwards: presenting it to readers, marketing it, and finding ways to reach an audience.

I had never realised quite how much work goes into bringing a book into the world. It has been a tremendous learning experience and, above all, a real adventure. And I am very happy that I took it on.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I have always loved reading, and there are many writers and illustrators whose work I admire. But one particular book also inspired me when I was developing the idea for my novel: Zauberinnen by Jean Kobolenski.

The book explores the idea of singers as a kind of sorcerers or magicians. That really resonated with me. I have always found the human singing voice extraordinary. It is such a unique and personal instrument, capable of creating something almost magical. As a singer myself, I have experienced how special it is to make music with your own voice, particularly in the wonderful acoustics of historic cathedrals.

This made me wonder what it would mean for a young boy to lose his singing voice, especially if singing had always been an essential part of his identity. What would happen to him? How would he find his way forward?

That question became one of the starting points for The Boy Who Lost His Voice.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have a PhD in Economics and am a registered chartered accountant in the Netherlands. Alongside my academic and professional background, I have built a career in executive leadership within the public sector. Over the years, I have held several senior positions, including Secretary-General of the Netherlands Court of Audit and COO of the Authority for the Financial Markets.

I currently serve as a member of the Executive Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam, where my responsibilities include finance, real estate and facilities, IT and sustainability.

Although my professional career may seem quite different from my work as an author and artist, I believe the two worlds complement each other. Both require curiosity, analytical thinking, creativity, and an interest in people and society.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

For me, one of the most meaningful aspects of publishing this book is the thought that my drawings will continue to exist and be seen by others. I have spent many hours drawing historic buildings, churches, and cathedrals, and it means a great deal to me that these drawings have found a lasting place in a book.

I also hope that the book will help highlight the importance of music and the arts in our society. I believe that art and music are not luxuries, but essential parts of our cultural and human experience. They connect people, preserve our heritage, and enrich the way we understand the world.

If my book can contribute, even in a small way, to keeping that appreciation alive, I would consider that very meaningful.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

The soundtrack would certainly include the magnificent English choral tradition, particularly the music sung in English cathedrals and churches. I have a deep love for this repertoire, having sung in choirs myself, and I wanted that musical atmosphere to be present throughout the book.

I would include music by Henry Purcell, whose compositions have such expressive beauty, and William Byrd, whose sacred choral music captures something timeless and deeply moving. I would also choose works by Thomas Tallis, Orlando Gibbons, John Taverner and other composers from the rich tradition of English church music.

And, of course, I would include some Bach. His music has a spiritual depth and architectural quality that I find extraordinary.

Ideally, the soundtrack would sound like the inside of an English cathedral: voices rising beneath ancient stone vaults, filling the space with music that seems to connect heaven and earth.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope readers will come away with a renewed sense of wonder about the beauty that surrounds us. Beauty is everywhere, if only we take the time to look carefully. It can be found in the architecture of an ancient cathedral, in a piece of music, in a landscape, or in a small, unexpected moment.

I also hope they will recognise that beauty can be almost magical, but at the same time fragile. It is not something we should take for granted. It is something we need to notice, cherish and protect.

Perhaps, above all, I hope the book encourages readers to slow down, to remain curious and to appreciate the extraordinary things that are often hidden in ordinary life.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

At the moment, I am working on the sequel to The Boy Who Lost His Voice, which will continue Willem and Andries’s adventures. The new book takes them on another journey through history, music, and architecture, with new places to discover and new mysteries to unravel.

I have already completed a substantial part of both the story and the illustrations, so the project is well underway. As with the first book, I am creating the original drawings myself, and they will once again play an integral part in telling the story.

I am thoroughly enjoying returning to these characters and developing their journey further. There is still much more I want to explore through their adventures!

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere Press has been an interesting and valuable experience. I have learned a great deal about the process of turning a manuscript into a finished book, from editing and design to publication and distribution. It has also given me a much better understanding of what it takes to bring a book to readers.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that creating a book and selling a book are two very different things. Writing and illustrating a book is one challenge; making people aware of it, reaching the right audience, and encouraging them to buy it is quite another. I had not fully appreciated how much time, effort, and initiative the latter requires. My advice to other writers would be to be prepared for both sides of the journey. Enjoy the creative process, but also take an active interest in marketing, publicity, and distribution. Ask questions, do your research, and be realistic about what a publisher can and cannot do for you. Above all, see the entire experience as a learning process. I certainly have learned a great deal, and I am still learning every day.

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