The Usawa Literary Review is a bi-annual English language literary magazine dedicated to feminist literature and writings by and about underrepresented communities. 

Usawa in Swahili means equality. The Usawa Literary Review is a bi-annual English language literary magazine dedicated to feminist literature and writings by and about underrepresented communities. We publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reviews and interviews that question hierarchies, hegemonies and naturalized biases.

There are many feminisms – we live and learn. In the face of discrimination and violence based on gender, sexuality, colour, caste, religion, class… we believe in the persuasive humility of artistic expression, and carry writing that responds to the inherent violence of inequality. Have you produced or come across writing that provokes uncomfortable questions and gets us to re-examine our silences? Please share it with us and allow us to share it with our readers.

Based out of Mumbai, India, Usawa is a part of an ongoing global movement toward a more equitable world.

Usawa was founded by Lavanya-Shanbhogue Arvind and Smita Sahay in 2018.

Usawa Literary Review

SheThePeople and Matchbox by Usawa are collaborating on a monthly column where we publish unpopular opinions – because, well we have too many of those ourselves. (Click here to read previous articles)

Opinions are not always based on facts, logic or research. Yet, many of them are held close as truths, traditions, and sanskars.

When someone challenges these opinions, they are labelled too loud or too opinionated. They are often told to keep their opinions to themselves or to think before they speak.

Alternative viewpoints are silenced, minority opinions dismissed, dissenting voices coerced, and contrarian views ‘corrected’.

Through this monthly column, Your Monthly Dissent Dispatch, which will be published on both SheThePeople and Matchbox by Usawa, we hope not only to hear your voices but to amplify them. Because unpopular opinions deserve to be expressed too. We will publish one article every month on both platforms.

Your Monthly Dissent Dispatch (copy)

 For a moment, let us imagine a world beyond heteronormativity. A world where children are not assigned futures before they are born. A world that does not prescribe how people should dress, speak, move through the world, or whom they should love. A world where human experience is not measured against a single norm, but embraced in all its complexity and possibility. Perhaps this world is not entirely imaginary. It already exists—in moments of queer joy, in chosen families, in radical care, in resistance, in becoming. Queer Unfiltered, Usawa’s trans and queer issue, hopes to gather these fragments and possibilities: part archive, part sanctuary, part blueprint for more liberated futures.
We invite LGBTQIA+ writers to send us poems, short stories, graphic fiction, creative nonfiction, and photo essays that reflect on the world they inhabit and the world they dream of. Send us stories of small and big acts of resistance that inhabit this world. Or, conjure up entirely new worlds for a transtastic tomorrow. Send us poems about moments of self-discovery, found families, or queer joy. Send us your lyrical odes to a diverse, equitable world. And send us essays that let readers into your world, work, and daily lives.
While we look forward to submissions of high literary merit, our focus is on featuring unique voices and perspectives. We accept short stories, poetry, graphic fiction, creative nonfiction, photo essays and humour pieces. If you have anything else that doesn’t fit into these categories but makes your heart sing, send it to us; we are open to hybrid and experimental forms.

We are primarily looking for entries from queer and transgender writers. But we welcome a few entries from allies that specifically and thoughtfully engage with queer and trans lives. Some of the entries will be by invitation, and the others through an open call for submissions.

Queer Unfiltered

Usawa Literary Review is an Independent Feminist Literary Magazine. We are looking for new members for its volunteer editorial team: Associate Editor for Book Reviews (1 position), 
Reader Fiction (2 positions) and Reader Non-fiction (2 positions). 

Associate Editor for Book Reviews &  Readers for Fiction/Non-fiction

We’re looking for someone who is detail-oriented, editorially sharp, comfortable with WordPress, and genuinely interested in literature and publishing. This is a hands-on role where you’ll work closely with the Founder and editorial team to edit, publish and manage content across Usawa Literary Review and Matchbox.

Usawa Literary Review

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Your Monthly Dissent Dispatch (copy)