Maghsoodnia Memorial Fund for Poetry

The Maziar Maghsoodnia Poetry Fund supports Persian literature, especially Persian poetry, in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. The fund is named after Maziar “Mazi” Maghsoodnia, who was tragically killed in a car accident in March 2016. Maziar was a wonderful, gentle human being, a loving family man, and a great lover and admirer of Persian poetry. He also loved Berkeley, the city, the campus, the university, and the Persian program. In his memory, his family and friends put together this generous fund to promote Persian poetry at Berkeley. Recognizing the centrality of Persian poetry in the production and compostion of literary heritage of the Iranian world, the Maghsoodnia Memorial Fund supports seminars and colloquia on outstanding figures of classical poetry, as well as lectures and poetry readings by and about prominent contemporary Persian poets. This endowment will enhance the learning experience of Berkeley’s students of Iranian heritage and students of Persian language and literature and enable direct engagement with contemporary poets and literary scholars.

Maghsoodnia Poetry Readers