Maria Oleynik is a freelance translator fluent in 10 languages, including Russian (her mother tongue), Persian (her main passion and interest) and Arabic: being a polyglot serves her wanderlust admirably. She is an expert in Central Asia and the Middle East, has studied Arabic in Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen, and is the only foreigner with a degree in Persian Literature from the University of Shiraz. An avid and endlessly curious traveller, she is an experienced updater of Bradt guidebooks, having worked on titles covering Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, and Ladakh, Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. Methodical in her approach, Oleynik has an eye for tiny details (for example, that miniature plaque across the street whose meaning you could not fathom) and loves to share discoveries with readers. A passionate hiker and skier, Oleynik may currently be based in Rome but consider mountains to be her haven.