Mojdeh Stoakley

Mojdeh Stoakley is an award-winning writer, performer, educator, and 2023 Chicago Poet Laureate Finalist. They've performed and taught all over the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Middle East!

Mojdeh served as Education Director for Chicago Slam Works and Chicago Poetry Center designing SEL and trauma-informed literacy programing. They served as Director of the 29th National Poetry Slam, Co-Executive Director of Surviving the Mic, and founder of Lethal Poetry, Interfaith Poets Ensemble, Lyric Laughter, Afro+naut Lab, LUCID art lab, and »radiant devices«

Mojdeh is Afro-Persian, but also identifies as a Cultural Worker and Social Practice Artist that uses art and direct action as an intentional catalyst for social change. They've has been featured as a community commentator and performer on media platforms including NPR (WBEZ Chicago), the BBC, Button Poetry, SlamFind, and Vocalo. They're poetry has been published by esteemed institutions such as The Poetry Foundation and the Chicago Reader.