About
I discovered the liberating power of storytelling as a teenager, a passion that continues to drive my work today. With a profound love for languages and history, I delve into narratives that explore social matters, philosophy, and the human condition.
I write historical fiction and historical romance, fascinated by the past's profound influence on the present. I believe understanding history's complexities can offer vital lessons for the future. My stories are not about simple heroes or villains; they explore the moral ambiguities of individuals caught in extraordinary historical events, particularly within the crucible of World War II. I challenge stereotypes, revealing that under pressure, people are rarely just good or evil, but a compelling mix of flaws and virtues. My characters navigate profound emotional landscapes, seeking meaning and happiness amidst historical turmoil.
Outside of writing, I teach English as a foreign language and champion English language acquisition through the art of storytelling.
Inside the Mind - Marina Koulouris
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What inspired you to start writing?
I've been creating stories in my mind since I was a child, finding a rare kind of freedom in the ability to live other lives and feel things beyond my own. At fifteen, I started putting those worlds on paper, a private act of liberation that was, for a long time, enough. But as the stories grew, so did a new, more profound need: the desire to share them. To see if the worlds I built in my head could find a home in someone else’s. Now, decades later, I still write for that same sense of creative freedom, but also because I want to put those parts of myself to the test of being communicated, and even judged. First, it's a process that's purely mine. Then, it's about connecting and sharing that piece of me with others.
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Are there any universal themes that you write about, an enduring human truth you hope to explore with your books?
I'm an incurable romantic, but not just for the heart-pounding kind of love. I'm searching for something enduring in a world constantly in turmoil. Whether it’s a global conflict or a personal crisis, I want to explore how we find our footing when the ground beneath us is shifting. I believe the truth of people and their choices is never black or white. It's found in the gray areas of identity, morality, and perception. It's here, in the moral ambiguity of life, that I explore how love—not just a love between two people, but a love and acceptance of ourselves and others—becomes a sustaining power. World War II is the perfect backdrop for this. It's close enough to resonate with our modern crises, but distant enough to be explored with a clearer vision. In that world of turmoil, I want to show how love, in its many forms, is the truest act of resilience.
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