About Author Maria Marianayagam

Hi, I’m Maria Marianayagam. Welcome, and thank you for visiting!

I’m a children’s book author. I wear many hats—my favorite being, Amma (mom)—but others include wife, daughter, sister, friend, and engineer. My stories call upon a childhood and adulthood of multiple identities. I am a Canadian who was born in India. I am a Catholic but also Tamil Sri Lankan. I love writing but have a degree in chemical engineering. We all contain multitudes–and I draw on our intersections to inspire, empower, and engage young readers. (My formal bio can be found here.)

Visit my blog where I share posts about the creative business of writing, living, and more.

How to pronounce my name:

11 fun facts about me:

I am a proud Tamil Sri Lankan-Canadian.

I was born in South India, in an ancient city called Tiruchirappalli.

I grew up in Nigeria (where my sister was born!) and all across Canada (Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta).

I spent a decade working as an engineer. I love art and writing, but I also love math and science. It’s possible!

I have three incredible daughters and one wonderful husband.

My sister is my best friend. She’s 15 months younger than me and is often confused for my twin.

I love to sleep (but I don’t get much of it anymore!).

I have a weird fear of cracks and bubbles. It’s hard to describe. I believe it’s called trypophobia.

The first award I ever received was in fourth grade for Creative Writing.

Noodles are my favorite across all cultures – idiyappam, pasta, vermicelli, chow mein—yum!

I love Ceylon black tea—and coffee that tastes like a donut.