Wasafiri Magazine

Name

Wasafiri Magazine

Legal name

Wasafiri

Website

https://wasafiri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK), Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM)

Keywords

• Literary magazine publishing
• Contemporary writing journal
• Writing prizes competitions
• Literary residency programmes
• International literature translation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Quarterly magazine subscriptions sold to readers, with 18% discount off cover price advertised for subscribers.
2. Individual Issue Sales: Single issues sold through the online shop, including special issues like Wasafiri 126: Impossible Returns – The Spain Issue.
3. Donations: As a UK Registered Charity (number 1059778), Wasafiri accepts donations from the public to support its mission of publishing international contemporary writing.
4. Prize Entry Fees: Entry fees for the annual Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize in fiction, life writing, and poetry categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wasafiri publishes a quarterly literary magazine of international contemporary writing featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, translations, and art from writers worldwide, with a focus on writers of colour, diaspora, and underrepresented voices. It complements the magazine with the annual Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize and Wasafiri Essay Prize, Translator in Residence and Writer in Residence programmes, and an online shop selling issues and bundles, all operated by a UK Registered Charity hosted at Queen Mary University of London.

Product overview

Wasafiri Magazine is a quarterly literary publication dedicated to international contemporary writing, published by Wasafiri, a UK Registered Charity affiliated with Queen Mary University of London. The magazine's portfolio includes the core quarterly publication featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and art, alongside the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize and Wasafiri Essay Prize for emerging writers. Additional offerings include the Translator in Residence and Writer in Residence programmes, plus an online shop for issues and bundles. The publication focuses on presenting diverse voices from around the world, particularly those often underrepresented in mainstream publishing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wasafiri Magazine (Quarterly Print and Digital Publication) A quarterly literary magazine publishing international contemporary writing, featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, translations, and art from writers globally, with a focus on writers of colour, diaspora, and underrepresented voices. Available via subscription and individual issue purchase.
• Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize An international annual literary prize for unpublished writers in fiction, life writing, and poetry categories, judged by established authors. Shortlisted and winning writers receive mentoring and career support from The Literary Consultancy and The Good Literary Agency.
• Wasafiri Essay Prize
• Wasafiri Shop (Online Shop)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SALT (South Asian Literature in Translation) ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Three-year partnership supporting and promoting English-language translations of literature written in the languages of South Asia. Part of Wasafiri's International Translator in Residence program.
• The Literary ConsultancycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides mentoring and career support to shortlisted writers for the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, including ongoing professional development.
• The Good Literary AgencycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides mentoring and career support to shortlisted writers for the Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, including literary representation guidance.
• Taylor & Francis Group (Informa UK Ltd)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher handling distribution of the magazine to subscribers. They fulfill distribution of Wasafiri magazine to its subscriber base.
• Queen Mary University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasafiri is hosted at Queen Mary's School of English and Drama. The university provides office space, storage, IT equipment, and institutional support. The Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize is named after the university.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ploughshares: Ploughshares is an American literary magazine published at Emerson College, featuring poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Comparable to Wasafiri as a university-affiliated literary periodical with a long history and quarterly publication cadence.
• London Review of Books: The London Review of Books is a major UK literary publication covering contemporary writing, essays, and reviews. While much larger in scale, it operates in the same UK literary magazine market as Wasafiri and competes for similar academic and literary readers.

Direct peers

• AGNI: AGNI is a literary magazine published at Boston University featuring international poetry, fiction, and essays. It mirrors Wasafiri's university-hosted literary publication model and its focus on global contemporary writing.
• Words Without Borders: Words Without Borders is an online literary magazine publishing translated contemporary literature from around the world. It shares Wasafiri's mission of broadening access to international writing and translation from underrepresented languages.
• Granta: Granta is a leading UK-based literary magazine publishing international contemporary writing, fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. It is the closest direct peer to Wasafiri in terms of editorial focus on international writing, quarterly print format, and UK literary brand.
• The Paris Review: The Paris Review is an iconic American literary magazine publishing fiction, poetry, interviews, and essays from international writers. It is comparable to Wasafiri as a long-running quarterly literary periodical with a global contributor base.
• The White Review: The White Review is a London-based arts and literature magazine featuring fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews. It shares Wasafiri's positioning as a UK literary publication championing contemporary writing and underrepresented voices.
• Granta Books: While Granta Books operates as a publisher rather than a magazine, it shares Granta's brand and overlaps heavily with Wasafiri's mission of publishing international contemporary writing and translated literature from underrepresented regions.
• Asymptote Journal: Asymptote is an international journal of translation featuring poetry, fiction, and nonfiction from global writers. It overlaps directly with Wasafiri's translation focus, particularly around South Asian and endangered language literature.

Others

• Hay Festival: Hay Festival is a global literary festival organisation featuring international writers, events, and partnerships. It is comparable to Wasafiri as an ecosystem player in UK literary events, including book festivals like Edinburgh where Wasafiri participates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wasafiri-magazine-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wasafiri Magazine