Long Bio

Maria Marianayagam is an award-winning Tamil Sri Lankan-Canadian engineer turned children’s book author. From board books and picture books to middle grade novels, her stories weave together science, culture, family, history, and wonder—inviting young readers to look closer, think bigger, and discover just how connected we really are.

Maria is the author of more than ten children’s books, including the critically acclaimed middle grade novel No Purchase Necessary, which received four starred reviews and has been nominated for the Forest of Reading Red Maple Award, the High Plains International Book Award, and is on the Texas Library Association’s Lone Star Reading List. Her picture books include The Amazing Power of Girls, a Children’s Book Council Teacher Favorite endorsed by the presidents of Girls Inc. and Actua, Wait ‘Til You’re Older, Curry Means More, and the bestselling Baby Virtues board book series.

Maria’s work has been featured by CTV National News, Global News, and numerous podcasts. In 2025, she was named one of her city’s Top 40 Under 40 for her contributions to children’s literature, STEM education, and community leadership.

Born in India, raised in Nigeria and across four Canadian provinces, Maria brings a global perspective to everything she writes. When she’s not creating stories, she’s usually chasing her next passport stamp, exploring museums and monuments with her family, or leaving libraries with far more books than she intended. She lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and three daughters.

Maria is represented by Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown Ltd.

Short Bio

Maria Marianayagam is an award-winning Tamil Sri Lankan-Canadian author whose stories explore the surprising intersections of science, culture, history, and belonging.  She is a former chemical engineer turned author of acclaimed board books, picture books, and middle grade novels, including No Purchase Necessary, which received four starred reviews and award nominations across Canada, the United States, and Japan. Named one of her city’s Top 40 Under 40, Maria lives in Alberta with her husband and three daughters, where she’s usually planning her family’s next adventure.

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