Maria was brought up in Bridport, Dorset and lived in Holland for many years. She has worked as a nurse, gardener and magician's assistant, but is now a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan, where she has recently completed an MPhil in Writing.

Her short stories have appeared in Mslexia, New Welsh Review and the Honno anthology My Cheating Heart.

A collection of short short stories, Tea for Mr Dead, published in 2006, is available from Leaf Books; her first collection of longer stories will be published by Seren in 2007.

Maria also writes non-fiction. Her biography of the dancer, artist and storyteller, Megan Lloyd, appears in Sideways Glances, edited by Jeni Williams, published by Parthian.