about Marjan Naderi
Marjan Naderi is an Afghan-American poet, performer, and educator based in Washington, D.C. As the former D.C. Youth Poet Laureate (2020), Naderi is a seven-time National Poetry Slam Master. Her work has been featured throughout American media including The Washington Post, NPR, NBC News, and more. In 2020, Marjan's writing was honored by The National YoungArts Foundation and was nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award. Her first chapbook, Bloodline, was released and sold out shortly after. Marjan's poetry is now featured in curricula including Fairfax County Public Schools, Bryant University, The University of Virginia, The University of Wisconsin Madison, and L.M.S. Voice. As an educator, Naderi has facilitated writing workshops and crafted curriculums across the nation. She is the founder of The Washington International Academy Library and now works to establish libraries across the U.S. as a student of The University of Virginia.
"To meet Marjan Naderi is to find optimism. It is a reminder that the leaders and artistic voices of this next generation are emerging with deep and wide understandings of the world and the power of a single voice. Her poetry and spoken word performances hit powerful chords of relevance and shine a light on the perspectives of young people, particularly those in the Muslim community. Strathmore has been honored to work with Marjan in educational pre-concert activities that allow patrons to get closer to the art."
At just 18 years old, Marjan Naderi has accrued accolades typically bestowed upon more seasoned artists. Named the 2020 DC Youth Poet Laureate, Naderi is a Muslim Afghan American author, performer, and educator.
Feeling outcast as a minority in America and yet somehow too American to be accepted by the Afghan community, Naderi’s poetry reconciles her family’s roots with that of her American upbringing. In so doing, she has forged a path for healing and understanding.
“I write because I know the narrative that I hold. I’m aware of how often the narrative of Afghan women, a Muslim woman is shoved to the back of the closet,” she says. By elevating the voices of Afghan American women, Naderi has proven herself a force of nature.
While the themes of her writing—cultural heritage and generational trauma—are heavy subjects, Naderi believes that poetry is a powerful medium for building immediate connections with audiences on the journey to compassion and acceptance.
NowThis News
Muslim-American Teen Uses Slam Poetry to Elevate Community
In a world where the teen isn't 'American' or 'Afghany' enough, this Muslim spoken word poet found solace with a pen and microphone. Meet Marjan Naderi, a Muslim American teenager creating her own space in the spoken word space and elevating the stories of her community.