Marcelo Canha

Marcelo Canha is a Brazilian creator currently based in Ireland. By day, he works in the world of privacy and cybersecurity — by night, he wanders through gothic castles, haunted nurseries, and the wild imagination of fatherhood.

Though not a writer by trade, Marcelo has always been drawn to storytelling in its many forms. He grew up enchanted by Japanese anime (specially Studio Ghibli), Disney classics, fantasy books/movies like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, and stop-motion films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline. He also finds inspiration in atmospheric video games (Silent Hill and The Last of Us Part II are personal favorites) and the eerie beauty of horror films like The Fly, Jacob’s Ladder and Alien.

Marcelo is a musician at heart, with roots in anime-inspired heavy metal soundtracks. He plays bass and guitar, and has played in several bands throughout the years. But his proudest role is being a dad to JJ and Daniel — the very heartbeat behind Castle Nocturn.

What began as a hobby in digital illustration after Daniel’s birth in 2023 quickly transformed into something deeper. Marcelo was inspired by JJ’s journey as an autistic child navigating the emotional waves of becoming a big brother. From that moment, Castle Nocturn was born.

Through this book—and many more to come—Marcelo hopes to shine a light on the beauty, chaos, and emotional depth of family, neurodiversity, and imagination.