Mahalia Smith

Mahalia used to work as an Occupational Therapist in the NHS and her many years’ experience of working in the Mental Health sector informs a lot of what she writes. She is fascinated by what makes people tick and enjoys creating characters that don’t necessarily fit under specific labels.

Being mixed race and having grown up in Tottenham, Mahalia depicts characters from different racial, cultural and economic backgrounds in order to illustrate real life. Although she touches on some of the situations that her characters face due to their colour, she does not want these situations to define them or for their experiences to become politicised or tick a diversity box. She wants readers from all backgrounds to engage and connect with her characters.

Mahalia writes women’s fiction and psychological suspense. She was a finalist in the Joffe Books Crime Writing competition, 2021.

Writing is really all Mahalia has wanted to do and, now that her children are older and she works part time, she finally has the opportunity to fully commit to it.

Mahalia lives in London with her husband and two children.