Mariëlle Matthee studied English literature at the University of Liverpool and she is a lecturer at Leiden University. Mariëlle has a background in environmental law (PhD in international law) and combines the legal perspective with literature in her research.

During her last research, she focused on the Maori language language in New Zealand, and rediscovered the importance of indigenous cultures and languages and their use of poetic language to safeguard nature.

Her current project, which will run from September 2024 to September 2025, uses an esoteric approach to explore the ways of nonhuman communication in environmental governance.