Opportunity: CHASE Editorial Placement at Wasafiri

An opportunity is available for a CHASE-funded PhD student to join Wasafiri on a year-long editorial placement. The placement will provide invaluable experience within an internationally-recognised academic and literary journal in preparation for a career within academia, publishing, or the arts sector. 

Application deadline: Midnight GMT, Thursday, 26 February 2026   
Interviews: Week commencing 9 March 2026 
Start date: early April 2026 preferred
Hours: Part-time (2.5 days per week) for one year. No shorter placements are being considered at this time. A notice period of one month applies 
Location: Hybrid (remote + in person). One day per week in the office, at Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End campus 

The placement in brief 

A chance to build your own network and gain experience behind the scenes at an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation with a 42-year history of radical publishing and curriculum change, this placement combines editorial support for our quarterly magazine and managing our submissions portal. There are also many opportunities for experience in areas of your own interest, which might include events organisation, design, and more. This role is ideal for a motivated and curious candidate with excellent critical reading skills and a strong desire to work in a small team. 

The magazine
 

Wasafiri is the UK’s leading magazine of international contemporary writing. Launched in 1984 to create a vibrant publication space for authors and critics from Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia, and their diasporas, Wasafiri has spread its reach over the last 40 years to encompass the works of writers worldwide, championing underrepresented writers from all backgrounds. Having pioneered a shift in the literary, cultural, and critical landscape, the magazine draws widely across modern culture and the arts, publishing a lively and informed mix of fiction, poetry, interviews, essays, articles, art, and reviews. 

The placement in detail 

Wasafiri has been successfully working with CHASE placement students since 2018. The placement is made up of two halves: assisting with the editorial production of our quarterly magazine and managing our submissions system, including peer review. Activities include: 

• Managing our submissions portal, including reading submissions and assigning peer reviewers, in coordination with the Deputy Editor, allowing the student to discover and influence emerging scholarship and promote innovative work. 

• Contributing to editorial strategy for the print magazine and website content by attending editorial and Associate Editor meetings, as well as wider organisational strategy, including events and special projects. 

• Managing relationships with contributors and peer reviewers, learning to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders, and growing a personal network of arts practitioners and researchers. 

• Supporting the Reviews Editor, communicating with publicists, publishers, and reviewers as required. 

As well as providing an introduction and foundation to working in the arts beyond academia, Wasafiri placements offer students the skills necessary for the completion of their own research, including time management, editing, and communication, as well as developing academic networks and gaining a better understanding of the journal publishing process. 

Only CHASE-funded researchers at CHASE-affiliated institutions are able to apply.  

Successful candidates will report to Wasafiri’s Deputy Editor, Vamika Sinha. For more information, please email: v.sinha@qmul.ac.uk  

Applications should consist of a cover letter of up to a page and a CV, and should be sent to wasafiri-manager@qmul.ac.uk by midnight GMT, 26 February, 2026. Interviews will be conducted in the week commencing 9 March.