Wasafiri magazine was established in 1984 by
Susheila Nasta, who served as its
editor-in-chief for 35 years. The magazine was originally developed to extend the activities of the
Association for the Teaching of Caribbean, African, Asian and Associated Literatures (ATCAL), which was inaugurated in 1979. ATCAL campaigned for greater diversification of the "
English literature" traditionally taught in UK schools at that time, and sought to get writers such as
Derek Walcott,
Jean Rhys and
V. S. Naipaul included on the
A-level syllabus. Once that process was under way,
Wasafiri was created, becoming "a literary space for people to talk to each other" and opening up literary studies to a wider body of literature in English beyond the established canon. The magazine contributed towards writers such as
Abdulrazak Gurnah,
Buchi Emecheta and
Vikram Seth becoming established. As noted by a reviewer of the 20th-anniversary issue, "Writing Across Worlds": "Since its foundation...the literary magazine
Wasafiri has focused on the idea of the writer as someone who transports the imagination beyond the maps of narrowly defined borders, and has promoted a range of new and established voices as well as signposting new waves in contemporary literature worldwide." On its 25th anniversary,
Wasafiri was described by
BBC Radio 4's ''
Woman's Hour'' as having "provided a platform for hundreds of writers struggling to be heard at the outset of their writing careers, many of whom have since gone on to become world-renowned, award winners." The magazine frequently produces themed editions — for example, the Summer 2008
Indian edition, about which
Neha Kirpal, an Indian social entrepreneur, wrote: "The magazine critiques the work of various authors in a very in-depth manner, complete with detailed notes and useful references. It contains certainly not light-hearted writing; on the contrary, intense – almost equivalent to writing a research paper or academic essay. Wasafiri can safely serve as constructive material for any literature enthusiast or even as a ready reckoner for the budding writer. A collection that can be savoured by every book lover, Wasafiri is vital for all literature students, teachers, writers, critics, authors and poets and simply anyone who enjoys fiction." Over the years, special editions have had a range of notable guest editors, such as
Bernardine Evaristo for the 2009 issue "Black Britain: Beyond Definition", and
Billy Kahora and Zoe Norridge for the 2020 issue on "Human Rights Cultures". Many of the short stories published in the magazine have gone on to win literary prizes, including the
Caine Prize for African Writing. Founding editor Susheila Nasta was followed after 35 years in the role by Malachi McIntosh and then Emily Mercer, and the current editor and publishing director of
Wasafiri, as of 2024, is Sana Goyal. ==New Writing Prize==