born on March 1, 1959, in the village of Arboshiki, Dedoplistskaro District. In 1981, she graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Tbilisi State University and worked in the children’s programming department of Georgian television. In 1990, she founded the Young Writers’ Association “Gulani.” She was the editor of the English-language educational and entertaining youth newspaper Hello, Baby, founded in 1995. She served as the secretary of the Writers’ Union of Georgia and, in 2004, was elected as its chairperson.

Gonashvili’s first poems and miniatures were published in children’s magazines and newspapers starting from 1968 (including Norchi Lenineli and Pioneri). She has published several poetry collections, including: The Blaze of Poppies (1985), The Sun’s Tear (1987), I Love You (1990), My Prayer, My Oath (1994), Faces and Names (1999), The Calling (2001), The Grace of the Sun Flows from the Domes (2003), I Will Speak the Truth (2006), From Here to You (2009), The Sun Within (2010), among others. She has also authored children’s books, such as: The Amazing Adventures of Kicha (1987), In the Kingdom of the Tailed Star (1991), I Am a Little Georgian (1992), and The Amazing Adventures of Piglet Kiki (2006). Her poetry has been translated into several foreign languages.

In 2008, she received the Ana Kalandadze State Prize, and in 2010 – the Ilia Chavchavadze State Prize. In 2021, Maqvala Gonashvili was awarded the country’s highest literary honor – the Shota Rustaveli State Prize.