Richard Ely, whose real name is Christophe Richard Ely Van De Ponseele, is a Belgian writer and ethnobotanist born on March 20, 1974, in Ghent. He grew up in Ellezelles, a village in the Pays des Collines region of Belgium, known for its folklore related to witchcraft. This childhood deeply influenced him, awakening a passion for folklore and the fantastic.
After studying humanities and social sciences at the Catholic University of Louvain, he pursued research on vampires, witches, fairies, and elves. He also earned a degree in applied ethnobotany from the University of Lille II, focusing his research on the use of medicinal plants, rituals, beliefs, and superstitions.
@&aRichard Ely is the former editor-in-chief of Khimaira magazine and the creator of the blog "Peuple Féerique," which he still runs. He is also the main organizer of the "Trolls & Legends" festival in Mons, Belgium.
As an author, he has published several works exploring the world of fairies and nature spirits, including The Great Book of Nature Spirits and The Great Book of House Spirits.
