Hi! I’m Stela. With a single L. Weird – I know – but then, my parents come from Moldova so could only afford one L.

Born in a Soviet country and seeking to escape a culture of heavy drinking, I moved to England. Wrong move! But by the time I realised it, I’d fallen in love with London with all its freedom and opportunities.

With a BA in Media Studies from the University of Westminster, I embarked on a brief journalistic career, training at the BBC and running a community magazine, before my itchy feet took me to exploring the world – from learning how to keep my mouth shut at an ashram in India, to trekking in the Australian outback, to losing a bet and skydiving in New Zealand.

As someone who moved to the UK at a young age, I often think of myself as a cultural crossbreed who feels a stray in both countries. My writing feeds on this restlessness, revolving around issues of identity, belonging, gender roles, the unity and inter-connectedness of nature, and the conflict of religion – organised religion – vs spirituality.

Hope you enjoy my work.