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The Storyteller Behind the Stories
Writer. Storyteller. Dreamer. Bridge between two worlds.
ROOTS & BEGINNINGS
Born from storks, fairytales and oral storytellers
I am Anamarija Mraz and I write under the pen name of Mary-Anne Frost. My first novel is titled ‘Pepelina, The Slavic Cinderella.’ I currently call Perth, Western Australia my fairytale home, but my love for fairytales and fantasy stories began elsewhere. I was born in a small town in Croatia, famous for white storks and fairytales written by Croatian children’s author Ivana Brlic Mazuranic. I come from a family of maternal oral storytellers, and I grew up reading Slavic fairytales. I cherish many memories of my grandmothers telling me oral stories, but unfortunately, they never wrote them down. I never wrote as a child either, but I loved playing with my older brother Darko. Together, we created imaginative fictional worlds and characters, and when not getting lost in our childhood worldbuilding, I loved watching Disney cartoons, especially Sleeping Beauty that remains my favorite fairytale of all times. I also enjoyed playing a famous computer game ‘Heroes of Might and Magic III’ with my brother and cousins. These childhood moments were the first informal education I received as a storyteller and writer.
THE JOURNEY
Finding her voice, one story at a time
Years later, I studied English and Cultural Studies and History at the University of Western Australia in Perth. It was during my time at university that I re-discovered love for stories and writing. I began writing poems and published some of them in the Damsel magazine. In my last year of studying, I wrote an honors thesis focusing on the creative film adaptations of Shakespeare’s play Pericles. I examined three films as ‘unconscious’ adaptations of Shakespeare’s Pericles: Clash of the Titans (2010), Avatar (2009) and The New World (2005). After completing my studies, I did a fantasy writing course at Australian Writers Centre, alongside courses on copywriting and content writing. My big ‘breakthrough’ as a writer and storyteller happened in February 2025 when I performed as oral storyteller as part of Perth Festival. I spoke about my love for fairytales, writing, and how the death of my father and the ancestral connection to my late grandmothers guided me back to my true calling – that of a writer and storyteller.
HEAR THE STORY
Perth Festival 2025
If you are interested to learn more about my writing journey, please listen to my oral story I told at Perth Festival in February 2025.
