2 March 2026

LAHP Placement Opportunities with Wasafiri

An opportunity is available for two LAHP-funded PhD students to join Wasafiri on placements. We are also open to receiving speculative applications for placements where the applicant wishes to propose a specific project aligned with Wasafiri's work.

Application deadline: Midnight BST, 30 March 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 6 April 2026
Start date: 20 April 2026 for the Editorial Placement preferred; 5 May for the Prize Placement preferred
Hours: Part-time 2 days/14 hours per week for nine to twelve months
Location: Hybrid remote/in-person working. Offices are at Queen Mary University of London, Mile End campus

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 forty 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. You can access the magazine here.

The placements in brief

A chance to build your own network and gain experience behind the scenes at an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation with a forty two-year history of radical publishing and curriculum change.

One placement will focus on the 2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize, which closes for entries on 30 June, 2026. The placement holder will work closely with the Wasafiri team, particularly the Administration and Programmes Manager, and will learn about running a literary prize. They will also support with the administration of the prize, reading and assessing prize entries, data evaluation for prize reporting, and work on the prize-giving ceremony which will take place in late October.

A second placement holder will offer editorial support for our quarterly magazine and manage our submissions portal. There are also further opportunities for experience in their areas of interest, which might include events organisation, marketing and design, and more.

Both roles are ideal for a motivated and curious candidate with excellent critical reading skills and a strong desire to work in a small team.

The LAHP-funded researchers undertaking a placement at Wasafiri will also receive an extension to their stipend, equivalent to the duration of their placement.

The placements in detail

Wasafiri has been successfully working with LAHP placement students since 2024.

Prize Placement (nine months)

Activities for the literary prize placement include:

Managing entries to the 2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.
Reading and assessing entries to the 2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.
Contributing to promotion strategy for the prize, as well as wider organisational strategy, including events and special projects.
Supporting the data gathering and reporting of the 2025 and 2026 prizes.
Supporting the Administration and Programmes Manager with the planning and delivery of 2026 prize giving event.
Managing relationships with judges, external readers, prize partners, shortlistees and winners, and growing a personal network of arts practitioners and researchers.

Editorial Placement (twelve months)

This 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 LAHP-funded researchers at LAHP-affiliated institutions can apply.

The successful candidate for the literary Prize Placement will report to Wasafiri’s Administration and Programmes Manager, Elizabeth Robertson, and to Deputy Editor, Vamika Sinha, for the Editorial Placement. For more information, or with queries about the placement, please email: wasafiri-manager@qmul.ac.uk

Applications should consist of a cover letter of up to a page and a CV, sent to wasafiri-manager@qmul.ac.uk by no later than Midnight BST, 30 March 2026.

Speculative applications should consist of a cover letter of up to a page, a 500-word project proposal, and a CV, sent to wasafiri-manager@qmul.ac.uk by no later than Midnight BST, 30 March 2026.