Maria Spirova

Bulgaria

Criminology & Criminal Justice (MSc), 2008
St Cross College, Oxford

Funding: Weidenfeld

Maria is an Award-winning journalist (sometimes also writer, script consultant, editor, translator, copywriter). Published in Bulgarian and English language media like Euronews, Kultura, Capital Weekly, Glamour, New Statesman, The Economist.

Maria was part of the first cohort of Weidenfeld Scholars, graduating with an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2008. Before coming to Oxford, she studied at a classical lyceum, completed a BA in Cultural Studies and worked as a journalist.

Maria was awarded the first Weidenfeld-ISD Research Fellowship, beginning in October 2011. Together with ISD, she explored the impact of social media and digital democracy on political activism.

Maria was the Winner of the 2014 Reporting Europe International Journalism Prize for a series of excellent pieces on the anti-government protests in Bulgaria in 2013.

Maria is currently Deputy Editor of Chambers and Partners, a legal ranking and insights intelligence company based in the UK.