welcome, awara

a literary magazine for Pakistani women, and all else who wander

The word awara (آوارہ, pronounced aa-wa-rah) roughly translates to “wanderer” in Urdu. In Pakistan, however, the word awara often comes with a negative connotation—especially when referring to women. Almost as if to stay that we are forbidden from roaming freely in our own lives. Which is exactly why, when coming up with a name for a literary magazine dedicated to uplifting the voices of Pakistan’s women writers, I couldn’t think of a more perfect way of reclaiming what it means to be an awara.

What is Awara?

Awara is a literary magazine documenting the lives and legacies of Pakistani women—both at home and in the diaspora—and our allies. While it is tempting to brand Awara as a South Asian publication for broader appeal, I do think this comes at the risk of under-representing Pakistani voices, particularly those in minority diasporas.

While Awara is primarily intended as a space for writers of Pakistani origin, we are also interested in featuring work from non-Pakistani creatives with relatable experiences. For example, what’s it like living as an Indian Muslim in a predominantly Hindu area? Or, living in Pakistan as a non-Pakistani married to a local? We want to know it all.

How can I get involved?

1. We will be hosting weekly writing competitions: one free and one paid. We are looking for pieces that are a max 500 words; prompts will be announced one week in advance. Three winners will be announced per competition and awarded the following prizes:

• 1st place: Piece shared on Awara Substack one week post-competition AND published in monthly digital magazine

• 2nd place: Piece shared on Substack two weeks post-comp

• 3rd place: Piece shared on Substack three weeks post-comp

The first writing contest will be announced this Friday, October 3.

2. We also aim to put out a monthly digital magazine featuring first-place winners of the weekly writing competitions, as well as the winners of other magazine-exclusive writing competitions.

Though Awara is an independent, reader-funded initiative, we will offer cash prizes once we can afford them.

Why Awara?

The first (and last) time I thought about starting a literary magazine was in high school. While I admit I was motivated, in part, by how good a feat it would look on a college application, I couldn’t help but think of the students that would have really benefitted from the outlet. But my idea never came to fruition as the school outright ignored my plea.

It wasn’t until this summer (almost a decade later) that I started to fall back in love with literary magazines. I especially appreciate the work of platforms such as London Writers' Salon and the newly launched Strange Pilgrims for providing writers that are just starting out (like myself) with the opportunity to experiment with (and potentially be paid for) their craft.

I love the complexity with which so many brown women write on Substack—and almost can’t help myself from bringing us together in anthology form. Gosh, I am so excited to learn more about the various diasporas out there (especially the Pakistanis in Norway, I have been curious about you since I watched What Will People Say in 2017; alternatively, if there are any Pakistanis living in the woods, I would love to know.)

I can’t wait to see all the ways you find to involve yourself in Awara, and what we eventually create together 🫶🏽

Lots of love,

emma🦈 (writer of trauma & co.)