Masks

Having lost Ina to cancer, Villi confronts memories linked to their life before and after Bulgaria's transition to democracy in the 1990s.

Will he overcome the fact that their son is addicted to drugs?

El, their daughter, is overwhelmed with emotion in the face of the tragedy in the family. What is her and her family's role in moving forward?

The accelerating deterioration of Bulgaria-Türkiye relations in the Eighties and the resistance of the ethnic Türks in Bulgaria deliver a blow to national security and the political system. How does this subline interact with the main story line?

The author creates insight into the minds of her characters and endeavours to balance shifting perspectives, dramatic irony, suspense and action.

Mariela was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. She graduated in English and Bulgarian philology and EU Law, International Finance and Relations. She has lived, worked and done research in Luxembourg, Belgium and Greece. She has been named in the first Global Diversity list of The Economist for her work in the sphere of human rights and social inclusion and has contributed to The Parliament magazine. She is a former member of the European Parliament and member of Pen International Women Writers' Committee.

She is active in swimming and jogging and takes part in global initiatives to raise funds. One of them is Theirworld, Your Walk, an initiative to raise funds to help every child have a safe place to learn.