Niko Why was born on a September morning in 1992. Raised in the wind-swept city of Sliven in South-East Bulgaria, Niko grew up at the intersection of conflicting worlds in the midst of a turbulent transition.

A bright student with a rebellious streak, his school years were a chaotic blend of poetry, rap, and provocative essays. It was during this era that he discovered the immersive storytelling of World of Warcraft and fantasy role-playing games?influences that would later shape the intricate world-building of his own fiction.

Seeking horizons beyond the Balkans, he moved to Colchester, England, where he graduated from the University of Essex with a BA in International Relations and Politics. He soon threw himself into the London open-mic scene, performing stand-up, singing, and spoken word while working in marketing.

Eventually, the pull of his homeland brought him back to Bulgaria. There, he dove into the worlds of youth work, project management, and volunteering, before becoming an English teacher and spending three transformative years restoring his grandparents' abandoned farm.

These times of pure freedom gave a significant boost to his creativity, inspiring the collection of stories and poems that would launch his career.

In April 2018, he began writing Sound Hunter, channeling his diverse experiences into a debut novel.

Niko views himself as a perpetual student of the craft. With Sound Hunter, he invites readers to witness an authentic and imaginative voice taking its first decisive steps on a promising path.