Wasafiri: New Writing Prize 2026
Join Wasafiri, the magazine of international contemporary writing since 1984, as they announce the winners of the 2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.
Join Wasafiri, the magazine of international contemporary writing since 1984, as they announce the winners of the 2026 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.
This two-part event opens with a panel discussion on change and activism within the publishing industry, including questions on the impact of AI, freedom of speech, writers’ rights, the current translation boom and plenty more.
Chaired by Wasafiri’s Associate Editor, So Mayer, the panel features writer and interdisciplinary artist, Tice Cin; English PEN’s Head of Literature Programmes, Will Forrester; and artist, researcher and producer, Heather Marks.
The discussion is followed by readings by writers from the Wasafiri community – Farah Ahamed, Gaël Le Cornec and Cara Thompson – each representing the three strands of the prize: Fiction, Life Writing and Poetry respectively.
The evening culminates with the announcement of the 2026 winners and a prize-giving by the judging panel: Ellah Wakatama as chair, with Santanu Bhattacharya, Jen Calleja and Mona Kareem.
Copies of a range of Wasafiri issues are available to purchase at the event.
Need to know
Copies of a range of Wasafiri issues are available to purchase at the event.
About the panellists
About the readers
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
31 Oct 2026, 5pm
Run time
3 hours (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £18
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
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Refunds and exchanges
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For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.