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Discover poetry, interviews, fiction, and more, published by Wasafiri.

A World Within Walls by Sophie Jai
In this lyrical, layered essay, author Sophie Jai examines the experience of writing and publishing her debut novel Wild Fires , and the ways in which history resonates on through centuries and generations. Wasafiri 110:
Nonfiction
Inheritance by Dur e Aziz Amna
In this fluid, lyrical piece of life writing, Dur e Aziz Amna reflects on a study abroad program in Paris, and in doing so, interrogates the idolisation of canons, her longing for literary forefathers, and the ideas and forces that went into creating her debut novel, American Fever.
Nonfiction
An Excerpt of 'The Burke Street Chronicles' by Ingrid Persaud
Read an exclusive extract from Ingrid Persaud's 'The Burke Street Chronicles', first published in  Wasafiri 110, and part of a series of sharp, funny audio short stories produced by BBC Sounds. You can read the full excerpt in Wasafiri 110, now available to download or purchase online.
FictionExtract
Meditations: Fahad Al-Amoudi on Anthony Joseph's 'Sonnets for Albert'
Wasafiri’s ‘Meditations’ is a new series that features creative and personal responses to new literature, asking writers to seek connections with themselves, their own work, and the text they’re reading.
MeditationsNonfiction
Wasafiri Wonders: Antony Huen
Ever wondered what your favourite writer’s first drafts look like?
Interviews
In Conversation with Idza Luhumyo, Winner of the 2022 AKO Caine Prize
In this interview, Idza Luhumyo talks about her various influences, the intersections between forms, and what she looks for when she's reading.
Interviews
A Q&A with CHASE Intern, Jack Rutherford
In this interview, Wasafiri sits down with current editorial intern Jack Rutherford to talk about his time at Wasafiri, what he's learned, and what he thinks the CHASE internship placement can offer prospective applicants.
Interviews
An Extract from What a Mother's Love Don't Teach You by Sharma Taylor
Winner of the 2020 Wasafiri New Writing Prize for Fiction for ' How You Make Jamaican Coconut Oil', Sharma Taylor’s debut novel, What a Mother’s Love Don’t Teach You, is a vivid and moving story of belonging, family, and inheritance.
FictionExtract
'Talking Histories, Making Stories': An Interview Between Richard Fung and Ramabai Espinet
In this exclusive extract from Wasafiri 110 – produced during the Covid-19 pandemic – video artist and writer Richard Fung interviews author Ramabai Espinet, discussing the intricate implications of Indo-Caribbean and Chinese cuisine, legacies of indentureship within their communities…
InterviewsExtract
Death Comes in Threes by Damion Spencer
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
New Writing PrizeNonfiction
Eggs keep falling from the fourth floor by Bhavika Govil
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
FictionNew Writing Prize
almost-shahrazad by Shereen Leanne
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
New Writing PrizePoetry
'Write because you cannot live without writing': An Interview With Mary Jean Chan and Preti Taneja
Wasafiri sat down with the 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize judges Mary Jean Chan and Preti Taneja to discuss writing advice, the importance of rejection, and what they're looking for in a winning entry.
InterviewsNew Writing Prize
The Prediction by Dal Kular
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
NonfictionNew Writing Prize
Wrecking Ball: Conversing with Gina Miller by Maria del Pilar Kaladeen
In 2016, when Gina Miller challenged the government's authority to trigger Article 50 to leave the EU, it catapulted her into the public eye, and resulted in a stream of misogynistic and racist abuse.
ExtractNonfiction
Tessellation by Anam Raheem
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
FictionNew Writing Prize
A Q&A With Marina Salandy-Brown, Chair of the 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize
Journalist, critic, and founder of the Bocas Lit Fest, Marina Salandy-Brown has contributed immensely to Caribbean literature and culture, as well as playing a key role in introducing and promoting that literary culture across the world. This year, we're excited to have her chairing the prestigious 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, working with a brilliant panel of judges including Mary Jean Chan, Preti Taneja, and Francesca Wade. Our Prize intern, Ioana Radulescu, spoke to Salandy-Brown to find out more about why literary prizes still have relevance in today's world, plus helpful tips on what she's looking for in this year's prize entries.  You can enter the 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize – open until 30 June 2022, 5pm BST – and read more about the Prize here. 
InterviewsNew Writing Prize
Ghost Talker Poem by Dorsía Smith Silva
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
New Writing PrizePoetry
On 'Crying Clowns' and 'Scandalous Deviants': An Interview with Sang Young Park and Anton Hur
Written by Sang Young Park and translated into English by Anton HurLove in the Big City (Tilted Axis Press) was longlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize and has been widely praised for its sharp translation and its tender, humorous examination of Korean queer life. In a society that still oppresses and ignores its queer citizens, and where it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to survive, Young’s story has a particular poignancy. It is a celebration of those who exist on the periphery, and an exploration of the relationships – platonic, familial, and romantic – that change one’s life irrevocably. In this interview with Victoria Caudle, author Sang Young Park and Anton Hur discuss the parts of themselves and their experiences that they brought to their work, the difficulties of being young and queer in Korea, and the limited opportunities for translators to make a sustainable living.  
Interviews
Hazel and Fiver by Shamini Sriskandarajah
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
New Writing PrizeNonfiction
The Books That Didn't Make Me by Jessica Gaitán Johannesson
In this piece, Wasafiri’s Writer-in-Residence, Jessica Gaitán Johannesson, interrogates the books that have – and haven’t – shaped her.
Writer in ResidenceNonfiction
'The poetics of skin': Kayo Chingonyi's Introduction to 'More Fiya'
Twenty-four years after the publication of The Fire People – the 1998 seminal collection curated by Lemn Sissay – comes More Fiya , an anthology of Black British poetry curated by poet and scholar Kayo Chingonyi.
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The Claws Come First by Mónica Ibarra Parle
Wasafiri is proud to publish the shortlisted works of the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize. These poems, essays, and short stories detail a range of emotions and experiences, produced by skilled new writers from all over the globe.
FictionNew Writing Prize
‘We are louder when we are heard together': Sara Ahmed on Complaint!
In this exclusive extract from Wasafiri 109, Adrija Dey interviews Sara Ahmed, discussing Ahmed's experience of writing her book Complaint!, and the larger process of gathering testimonies, being a 'feminist ear', and working to advocate for others and oneself from an intersectional perspective. You can read the full excerpt in Wasafiri 109, now available to download or purchase online.
InterviewsExtract