About

adda is the online literary magazine of the Commonwealth Foundation. It publishes creative work by writers and illustrators from across the Commonwealth.

In Bengali, adda describes an informal but lengthy conversation; in Hindi, the word traces its origin to a ‘perching spot’ for birds; in the Punjab, an adda is a pit-stop on long highways where travellers rest and exchange news. Put simply: adda is a meeting place.

On adda we publish creative non-fiction (short essays or memoir, for example), short fiction and poetry. We prioritise writing from authors who might not have the chance to publish elsewhere, featuring their work alongside established names such as Olive Senior, Akwaeke Emezi, Sarmad Sehbai, Roopa Farooki and Mary Rokonadravu.

The views expressed on adda are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of the Commonwealth Foundation.

Sign up to our newsletter here to hear about our calls for submissions as soon as they’re released, and to read new work published on adda.


Contact us via creatives@commonwealthfoundation.com

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