"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."
The Strathmore Monuments
"And underneath that thread of determination, one will find Marjan’s heart—her strength. Marjan is like that hand-sewn blanket by a loving grandmother that somehow survives a century of war, hardship, and life. Even if threads are pulled or stepped on, it is Marjan’s heart that keeps the entire blanket intact. Her strength pulses with pain, sadness, happiness, and love—the very emotions that allow her to be empathetic towards humanity and to understand how to move forward in life with great determination."
Onyou Hong, Fairfax County Public Schools
“Marjan Naderi was born under the sign of fire, which is to say she has a particular kind of burning. She takes what she finds in this world, and through the miracle of combustion, she turns it into smoke and heat. Marjan is a creator of light and through proximity may ignite the hearts of others. She is the 2020 Washington D.C. Youth Poet Laureate and a 5-time poetry grand slam champion. Let us warm our hands around the fire of that which she speaks.”
Matt, Shout Out Loud (Visible Records)
“Marjan’s performance brought tears to my eyes,” Besharat said. “You could not only see, but you could feel her words as she put all her emotion into them. I was in awe the entire time and enjoyed Marjan’s passion.”
