Bianca Marais is a South African-born novelist based in Toronto whose fiction has moved between historical settings, contemporary fantasy, and mystery. Her first novel, Hum If You Don't Know the Words, is set against the 1976 Soweto uprising; it was followed by If You Want to Make God Laugh, a multi-voiced novel situated in post-apartheid South Africa. The latter was published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 2019.
Marais has since expanded her range with the fantasy novel The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, the Audible Original The Prynne Viper, and the puzzle-centred mystery A Most Puzzling Murder. Her official website describes the mystery as an interactive reading experience involving ciphers, hidden passages, and puzzles for the reader as well as the protagonist.
Alongside her fiction, Marais co-hosts The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, a podcast for emerging writers seeking publication. She also taught creative writing through the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, which lists her as the 2019–2020 recipient of its Excellence in Teaching—Creative Writing award. Her work and public-facing teaching connect storytelling with practical support for developing writers.
This profile is awaiting source review; collected books are already linked below.
