Every so often, a very special poet comes along, graces the stage and reminds us here at Wordplay of exactly why we love this. In 2021, that poet has been none other than the graceful and incredibly gifted wordsmith, Maryam.
Since her emergence, Maryam has wowed audiences with spellbinding wordplay and breathtaking manipulation of the English language; captivating audiences with mesmeric storytelling and unmatched attention to detail, Maryam has quickly become one of the best poets performing on London’s poetry circuit.
In less than a year, Maryam has catapulted herself from largely unknown to one of the scene’s most valued and sought after wordsmiths. Maryam combines a distinct and profoundly eloquent delivery with a masterfully complex and thought-provoking writing style to create an idiosyncratic experience like no other.

What makes Maryam’s poetry so distinct and memorable isn’t only her astonishing command of the English language and poetic technique, but also her ability to construct pieces of work that transcend the quintessential composition of a modern day poem. It is bountifully clear with each individual performance and poem shared that Maryam not only wants you to hear her poetry, she wants you to feel it. With a catalogue of work that addresses and explores a plethora of pertinent topics including faith, politics, identity and injustice, Maryam has already found herself front and centre headlining poetry events across London, an expanding list that includes renowned spoken word nights like Mind Over Matter and Bring Your Own Bars Poetry, and brand new initiatives like Poetics.
By meticulously interweaving layers of depth and substance into every sentence (or ‘bar’ for the poetry scene aficionados), and passionately exploring current affairs with faith-inspired poetry that is as relevant as it is enthralling, Maryam hasn’t just quietly arrived on the poetry scene, she’s effectively kicked the door wide open and announced to the entire scene: “I’m here… and this is just the beginning!”
Written by: Liam Spencer