Elsa Marston

Elsa Marston was born and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and attended Vassar College. She earned a B.A. in American Civilization from the University of Iowa, an M.A. in International Affairs from Harvard University and an M.S. in Art Education from Indiana University.

Ms. Marston then attended the American University of Beirut on a Rotary Fellowship and met her husband there, Iliya Harik, who is Lebanese. They lived in London and then Chicago. They have lived in Bloomington, Indiana since 1964 and Harik is a Professor Emeritus in Political Science at Indiana University. The family includes three grown sons; Ramsay, Amahl and Raif. Ms. Marston enjoys tennis, playing the piano and hiking.

Ms. Marson was first inspired to be a writer at the age of eight, while listening to her father’s stories. Her interest in other cultures (particularly in Africa and the Middle East) has led her to write both fiction and non-fiction set in the ancient and contemporary Arab/Muslim world. She started writing seriously about 27 years ago and has published 19 books including novels, picture books and non-fiction.

Some of her books include;
“Women of the Middle East: Tradition and Change” a non-fiction look at the role of women in Islamic culture
“The Ugly Goddess” a juvenile novel set in ancient Egypt
“The Griffin in the Garden” a picture book fantasy
“The Byzantine Empire” a non-fiction survey of this ancient civilization