Maria Steyn (born 1959, South Africa). She has a B.A. Honours degree in philosophy and a postgraduate diploma in education. As an educator she was involved in bridging programs for children from disadvantaged communities. She has been writing haiku and tanka since 1999, and her work has appeared in international journals including The Heron’s Nest, Frogpond, World Haiku Review, Vuursteen, Yellow Moon, Kokako, Moonset, Blithe Spirit, and The Mamba, and she has also been published in six international anthologies. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.