When I was little…
stories connected me to a heritage half a world away. Stories came via my parents’ and grandparents’ memories, in the form of folktales, food, music and dance. I heard stories in Greek, in English and in other languages too, but the one thing that remained constant was that stories taught me who I was and how I belonged.
I write now to learn, to understand and to be understood.
I write what I know, and what I know is this: stories are crucial and stories can heal. Writing is how I share my stories and reading (in its broadest form) is how I open myself to the stories others so generously share with me.
Maria xx
Selected author biographies for media use:
Detailed: Maria Papas is a West Australian writer whose fiction, creative non-fiction and academic essays have appeared in various journals including TEXT, Griffith Review, Axon and The Letters Page. She holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia where she researched the ways people share narratives of illness and trauma. In 2020, the creative component of her research won the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, and has since been published as her debut novel, Skimming Stones. Maria works as an English teacher and sessional academic, and when she is not writing or working, you can find her near the coast or with family.
Medium: Maria Papas holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia where she researched the ways people share narratives of illness and trauma. She has written for TEXT, Griffith Review, Axon, The Letters Page and other journals. In 2020, her novel Skimming Stones won The City of Fremantle Hungerford Award and is available in bookstores now.
Brief: Maria Papas has published work in various Australian and international journals. Her novel Skimming Stones won the 2020 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award and is available in bookstores now.
Photo credit: Claire Miller 
Winning the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award!
Photo credit: Jessica Gately
Seeing my book for the first time. With Fremantle Press’s Georgia Richter.
Photo credit: Claire Miller
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Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you enjoyed my content. If you wish to learn more about me or my writing, please connect via my socials or through the booking forms at Fremantle Press.
Maria Papas 