Marjan Kamali

Marjan Kamali serves as the Fannie Hurst Writer in Residence in the Department of English at Brandeis University. She is an acclaimed Iranian-American novelist whose works explore themes of cultural identity, diaspora, and the Iranian-American experience across multiple generations and geographical contexts.

Her research interests center around creative writing, fiction, Iranian-American literature, cultural identity, and diaspora studies. Kamali's work consistently examines what she describes as living 'on the hyphen' between cultures, particularly the Iranian-American identity. She approaches historical events like the 1953 Iranian coup and the Iran-Iraq War not as a historian but as a novelist using political context to inform character development and narrative structure.

Kamali's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Iranian and Iranian-American experiences through rich depictions of Persian culture, poetry, and culinary traditions. Her novels often span decades and geographical locations, exploring how political upheaval shapes personal lives and relationships. Food serves as a crucial connective tissue in her narratives, functioning as both cultural preservation and communication.

• National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship 2022
• Harvard University Iranian Gala Honoree
• Prix Attitude in France for The Stationery Shop 2021
• NPR Best Books of 2019
• Indie Next Pick 2019
• Pushcart Prize Nominee, Solstice Literary Magazine 2018

Kamali has received significant recognition for her work, including adaptation of her novel The Stationery Shop into an HBO series for which she serves as a consulting producer. She actively engages with literary communities through book clubs, speaking engagements, and interviews where she often shares insights about Persian culinary traditions and has recommended food blogs like TurmericAndSaffron and MyPersianKitchen to readers interested in exploring Persian cuisine.