Born in the palm-fringed town of Batticaloa on Sri Lanka’s East Coast, Malliha grew
up in a home of poetry and books, prayers and love. 

When the Sri Lankan Government abolished the use of English in schools forcing
segregation in the community, Malliha and her husband left for distant Africa in
search of work and an egalitarian education for their children. Over the next two
decades they moved from country to country to provide their children with the
opportunities they were denied in Sri Lanka, by then torn apart by the brutal civil war.

Having made Sydney their home, Malliha branched off from her previous career in
taxation to explore a challenging but rewarding future in banking and finance,
continuing to nurture her passion for language.

Blessed with two children and three grandchildren, Malliha lives on Sydney’s North
Shore with her husband, where she continues to write.