Jennifer Wong Appointed as Wasafiri's Writer-in-Residence

We're delighted to announce the appointment of our new Writer-in-Residence, the poet, writer, and translator Jennifer Wong. For over three decades, we have created a dynamic platform for mapping new landscapes in contemporary international writing, featuring a diverse range of voices from across the UK and beyond. In the spirit of the magazine, and during her time at Wasafiri – November 2020 to April 2021 – Jennifer Wong will curate and host various writing workshops and online events—with a particular focus on poetry, Chinese diaspora writers and literature in translation. Keep an eye out on our website and social media platforms for more information on what she will be up to during her residency. This follows on from last year's successful appointment of the prize-winning poet and playwright Nick Makoha, who appeared at national and international literary festivals – from Birmingham to Berlin – and conducted writing workshops on behalf of Wasafiri in our 35th anniversary year. Nick's tenure was preceded by that of the writer, presenter, film maker and poet Bidisha, who served as our first-ever Writer-in-Residence in 2018, and launched the Salon. Commenting on her appointment, Jennifer said, ‘I am thrilled to be chosen as the new Writer-in-Residence for Wasafiri – a magazine I admire greatly – and am looking forward to working with the Wasafiri team in the coming months to develop new work as well as events and workshops that engage with a deeper understanding of international literature. In particular, and as a generation who have experienced the pandemic, I am keen to develop work in this residency that addresses the importance of family, home, and human geography.’ And Wasafiri’s Editor and Publishing Director, Malachi McIntosh said: ‘I'm a huge fan of Jennifer's work and I'm so excited about what she can bring to Wasafiri. We had been talking about potential collaborations for several months and she's a perfect fit—both with the team and with our ideals for the organisation.’ Jennifer Wong was born and grew up in Hong Kong and is the author of several collections including Goldfish (Chameleon Press) and a pamphlet, Diary of a Miu Miu Salesgirl (Bitter Melon Poetry 2019). Her latest collection, 回家 Letters Home (Nine Arches Press 2020) – which explores the complexities of history, migration and translation – has been named the PBS Wild Card Choice by Poetry Book Society. She studied in Oxford and has earned a creative writing PhD from Oxford Brookes University where she teaches as Associate Lecturer. Her poems have appeared in World Literature Today, Oxford Poetry, The Rialto, Magma Poetry and others. She also teaches at Poetry School. Her reviews and translations have appeared in a number of magazines including Poetry Review, Poetry London, PN Review and Asian Review of Books.