Mary Ziavras is the daughter of Greeks born in the Turkish Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 19^th century who escaped the Greek/Armenian genocide and immigrated to New York as refugees in 1916. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from New York University and a Masters in Special Education from Long Island University. She taught in the New York City's public school system for fifteen years, first in a Manhattan elementary public school and then in Brooklyn, teaching language arts and math to learning disabled junior high students. Upon retiring, she relocated to Chelmsford, Massachusetts where she continues to pursue her passion for writing.

Two of her published poems “Whenever the Flag Catches Your Eye,” (2006) and “When Sandcastles Washed Away,” (2009) were prize winners at the Chelmsford Public Library's annual Poetry Slam. The Merrimack Journal newspaper published several of Mary's poems, including “The Isles of Greece,” (2008) and “Behold the Banner of Hellenic Pride” (2009). Several of her short stories, memoires and poems are part of an anthology entitled “Voices,” published by the Chelmsford Senior Center Writer's Group in 2010.

In addition to writing, Mary has worked with watercolors and chalk pastels to make portraits of her grandchildren. The illustrations for Greek Folk Stories Old and New were done in pen and ink to compliment the folk-like appearance of the book.