Manya was born in Athens and lived in London until she was 10 years old. She is both a musician and a storyteller. She plays percussion and wind instruments and is trained in both classical and Greek traditional music. Manya has always been interested in discovering and bringing to light the rhythmical element in art forms other than music, especially dance and the spoken word. This interest, combined with a preoccupation with the oral tradition, is what led her to become a storyteller. She has been telling stories professionally for the last four years in theatres, bars, clubs and schools all over Greece. She has told stories at international festivals in the UK, Spain, France and Portugal. When telling stories, she usually accompanies herself with her instruments, weaving words into the music and music into the words.