Essayist, Poet & Cultural Critic; Founder of The Marginalian; Author of "Figuring"; Creator of "The Universe in Verse"

Brooklyn, NY, USA
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Maria Popova Biography

Maria Popova is a Bulgarian-born essayist, critic, poet, and cultural thinker whose work explores the intersection of literature, science, philosophy, and art. Popova is the founder and sole author of Brain Pickings, now called The Marginalian, an online publication that examines subjects such as literature, philosophy, art, science, and human culture. The Marginalian began as an email to seven friends and was later included in the Library of Congress permanent web archive of culturally valuable materials. The publication was renamed The Marginalian on its fifteenth anniversary. Popova has published more than six million words on the site, which has remained free, ad-free, and AI-free for two decades.

Popova's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Wired UK. Her work has been recognized for its depth and rigor in exploring the human search for meaning. Fast Company named her among the 100 most creative individuals in business.

As an author, Popova has produced a varied body of work. Her book "Figuring," published by Random House, reached No. 5 on The New York Times bestseller list and received the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Science and Technology category. She co-edited "A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader," a collection of original letters about reading and the impact of books, featuring contributors such as Jane Goodall, Yo-Yo Ma, Shonda Rhimes, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Judy Blume. Popova has also written "The Snail with the Right Heart" and "The Coziest Place on the Moon." Her show "The Universe in Verse," a charitable celebration of science through poetry, has also been published as a book. "Traversal" explores the concept of a meaningful life.

Popova is the creator of "The Universe in Verse," an annual event celebrating science and the natural world through poetry, hosted at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. She has delivered talks on the TED stage, connecting the histories of scientists and poets to examine humanity's understanding of the universe, and performed spoken-word readings from "Figuring" accompanied by musicians. In addition to her writing and speaking, Popova has served as an MIT Futures of Entertainment Fellow and as editorial director at the higher education social network Lore. Through her work, Popova has contributed to public discourse on literature, science, philosophy, and art.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/29/2026.

Maria Popova Videos

Maria Popova & Marie Howe: How to Be a Living Poem

Maria Popova & Marie Howe: How to Be a Living Poem

A conversation with Maria Popova and poet Marie Howe lensed through the original manuscripts of William Blake's Auguries of Innocence.

How to Write Something Truly Honest (Maria Popova Interview)

How to Write Something Truly Honest (Maria Popova Interview)

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Humanity's Search for Cosmic Truth and Poetic Beauty | Maria Popova | TED

Humanity's Search for Cosmic Truth and Poetic Beauty | Maria Popova | TED

Linking together the histories of Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Edwin Hubble and Tracy K. Smith, poet and thinker Maria Popova crafts an astonishing story...

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Maria Popova is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Maria Popova for your event is available upon request. Maria Popova generally travels from Brooklyn, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are An Phung, Spencer Wells, Calvin Trillin, Virginia Postrel and Esther Dyson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Maria Popova for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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