Wasafiri Announces New Writer in Residence — Cara Thompson
We are thrilled to announce Nottingham’s first Nature Poet Laureate, writer, performer, and artivist Cara Thompson as Wasafiri’s new Writer in Residence in a special partnership with Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature.
The residency will run for nine months and include a series of three online and one in-person workshops – ‘Slow Poetry: Writing Through Hibernation’ – which will be open to the public.
On the occasion of her appointment, Cara Thompson said: ‘As a descendant of Jamaican migrants whose stories beat at the heart of my work, Wasafiri’s commitment to uplifting global voices speaks to my own experience of writing as a bridge towards personal and collective understanding. The pages of Wasafiri are lined with the words of so many of my literary heroes, whose works have held, challenged, and moulded me as a writer. To be able to contribute my words to the magazine’s incredible legacy as Wasafiri’s next Writer in Residence is an honour beyond words.
As Wasafiri’s Writer in Residence and Nottingham’s Nature Poet Laureate, I’m so excited to dedicate my tenure to exploring what the natural world can teach us about ourselves: as writers, as individuals, and as a global community. Thank you so much to Wasafiri and Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature for this opportunity, and to all the writers who came before me.’
Hannah Trevarthen, Director at Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, commented: ‘Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature is delighted to establish a new partnership with Wasafiri as part of their Writer in Residence programme. We’re excited to see what our first Nature Poet Laureate Cara Thompson will grow and develop as part of the programme. We hope to make new connections between the wider ecosystem of writers and readers and Nottingham, and to consider the vital, shared connection of the ground beneath our feet.’
Wasafiri's Editor and Publishing Director Sana Goyal commented: 'We are pleased to welcome Cara Thompson as our new Writer in Residence for 2025/26 — and particularly delighted to be working alongside our partners, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, on this year’s residency programme. Wasafiri remains committed to forging and mapping new landscapes and geographies in contemporary international writing by nurturing and championing diverse, plural, and often overlooked perspectives. We invite you to join us in slowing down and soaking in the natural world around us.’
During her nine-month residency at Wasafiri, Cara Thompson will tutor four writing workshops, take part in Wasafiri events, and contribute to the print magazine and Wasafiri.org.
Cara Thompson is a writer, performer, and artivist based in Nottingham, UK, and Nottingham's first Nature Poet Laureate. A proud descendant of Jamaican migrants who came to Britain as part of the pioneering 'Windrush generation', Cara's work explores the richness and complexities of her Caribbean-British heritage while inviting audiences to unpack our shared histories and humanity. Cara's poetry has been featured and commissioned by Penguin Random House, Huffpost, Oxfam, the NHS Leadership Academy, UNESCO, Simon and Schuster, and more. In 2021, Cara won UNESCO Cities of Literature's international slam poetry competition Slamovision with her poem 'Island Screams (Where Are You From)'.
Outside of poetry, Cara is also a musician, facilitator, programmer, and an active member of Nottingham's creative community. Since 2023, Cara has been an Assistant Director of Nottingham Poetry Festival. In 2024, Cara became an Assistant Producer for the Nottingham based poetry collective, GOBS, co-directing their development programme and live showcase 'Earth' at Nottingham Playhouse. Cara is also a founding member of the Nottingham Black Creatives Network, and hosted the group's debut residency at Saltbox Presents throughout April 2024.
To find out more about Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and the Nature Poet Laureate, please visit the City of Literature website.