aja monet is a surrealist blues poet, storyteller, and activist born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. At just 19, she became the youngest winner of the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam, and remains one of the few women to ever hold the title. Her work blends the raw urgency of spoken word with jazz-infused musicality, creating performances that are both emotionally powerful and intellectually resonant. Known for addressing themes like gender, race, migration, spirituality and collective liberation, aja’s debut poetry collection My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter earned her a NAACP Literary Award nomination, and her Grammy-nominated 2023 album when the poems do what they do brings her verses to life alongside a renowned jazz ensemble. aja monet’s voice is a force for healing, memory, and transformation.