Mari Lara

Mari is from Brazil. She came to Wales with her husband to work in a project working with migrants and teaching English. They then moved to NI. Mari is a writer and film extra. She studied English Literature through OU and gained her degree. She did the creative writing course at FSWC and this sparked her love of writing, she has published several books and loves story telling.  She loves to sing and is quite the entrepreneur and helps her daughter run her business. The family tend to speak a combination of Portuguese and English. She has 3 daughters and grandchildren. Her family suffered terrible racism when they lived in Dungannon, this was hard for her and her family. She speaks of the need for understanding and listening to each other and our common humanity which truly should be the thread uniting us.

Considering all the challenges Mari and her family have faced she has such an incredible joy for life and is determined to live everyday to the fullest, despite living with an aneurism. She is very honest and open but will not allow this diagnosis to define her and her quest for exploring new countries and being her most authentic self is very evident.

Mari carries a very rich and significant cultural heritage from Brazil. She is a Jew and although very sadly aware her people are facing serious discrimination and racism in present times, her faith is hugely important to her. Through discovering her Jewish ancestry, she has found peace and her identity as both a Jew and as a Brazilian are something she holds incredibly dear to her heart.

She speaks with great joy about growing up in Brazil, the memories, the colours, the music, the parties, the weather and all of these influence how she and her family live in NI although possibility a little diluted these days! But still this lasting legacy and richness are in her eyes very worth holding on to.