About

I'm Maya Sunario, a writer, designer, and creative storyteller shaped by a life lived between cultures, disciplines, and worlds. I am half Irish, half Indonesian, and now rooted in the Algarve, where the light, the sea, and the rhythm of this place continue to influence my work.

Before stepping fully into the creative world, I spent over two decades as an IT consultant specialising in software testing. That career taught me precision, structure, clarity, and the discipline of building things that work. Those same principles now guide my approach to publishing, design, and storytelling: every detail matters, every choice has intention, and every piece of work must feel crafted with care.

My creative universe spans restored classic literature, original writing projects, and visual design work for theatre groups, charities, and community organisations. Whether I'm typesetting a 19th-century novel, designing a theatre programme, or shaping a new story, my goal is always the same; to create work with heart, beauty, and purpose.

Emerald Phoenix Press is my independent publishing imprint. It is a home for beautifully restored classics and future literary collections. It began as a passion project: a desire to bring timeless stories back to life with clarity, elegance, and a modern visual identity, while still honouring their original spirit.

Through this imprint, I am building a multi-year collection of classic works, each carefully typeset, thoughtfully redesigned, and presented with a cohesive aesthetic. The Emerald Phoenix Classics collection is the first of these, with the Shakespeare Collection and other curated series to follow.

Emerald Phoenix Press reflects my belief that classic literature should feel accessible, beautiful, and inviting; not dusty or distant. These books are crafted for readers who love stories, appreciate design, and value the experience of holding a thoughtfully made edition in their hands.

The Emerald Phoenix is the primary logo of my publishing imprint and the visual identity that represents my creative work. Its form is a simplified phoenix whose wings and body shape a heart; a symbol at the core of my branding and the values behind my stories. It embodies renewal, clarity, and the enduring power of literature: rising, transforming, and bringing stories back to life.

This logo appears across my book collections, website, and publishing materials as the main brand mark of Emerald Phoenix Press. Its clean lines and modern form reflect the design principles I bring to every project: simplicity, elegance, and intention.

The Celtic Batik Phoenix is my personal heritage emblem; a fusion of my Irish and Indonesian roots. Its interwoven Celtic knotwork and colourful flowing batik patterns reflect the meeting of two cultures, two histories, and two artistic traditions. It is intricate, symbolic, and deeply personal.

This emblem is not a commercial logo. It is a cultural crest; a symbol of identity, ancestry, and the deeper stories that shape my creative world. The phoenix at its centre represents renewal and transformation, themes that echo through my writing, my design work, and my publishing imprint.

You will see the Celtic Batik Phoenix featured in my hero banner and in selected creative works. It stands alongside the Emerald Phoenix logo not as a competing brand, but as a reflection of the heritage, history, and personal narrative that inform everything I create.