Magma Poetry

About Magma

The poetry magazine with a different editor every issue

What makes Magma unique?

Like all the best poetry, Magma is always surprising. Every issue of Magma has a different editor, either members of our board or a prominent poet acting as a guest editor. It’s that fresh eye in each issue which gives Magma its unique variety.

What kind of poetry can I expect to see in Magma?

Our aim is to promote the very best in contemporary poetry. Poetry that’s alert to the world we live
in, that’s honest and above all, unexpected. It may come from previously unpublished or emerging poets or the more established. We make a point of including unknown poets alongside known names, and we’ve published Seamus Heaney, Don Paterson, Sean O’Brien, Alice Oswald, Al Alvarez, Wendy Cope, George Szirtes, Gillian Clarke, John Burnside and Mark Doty among many others.

What else can I expect to find in each Magma issue?

Every issue includes a surprising variety of content. There’ll be prose features, articles as well as reviews, and each with the individuality made possible by our changing editors. The features include:

• Presiding Spirits: A well-known poet writes a new poem for Magma inspired by a favourite from the past and then we discuss it with them.
• Magma Showcase: Highlights the work of an up-and-coming poet with a selection of their work.
• Poetry in Practice: Helpful and entertaining advice on writing from established poets.
• Reviews: Recent collections of contemporary poetry are reviewed in each issue.
• Guest Choice: A famous person, usually from outside the poetry world chooses a favourite poem and explains why they’ve chosen it.
• SatNav: a look at the poetry scene from a region in the UK.

Where else can I find Magma?

Every poet appearing in each issue is invited to read alongside guest poets at Magma Launch Nights which take place at the Troubadour café in London.

Magma appears regularly in Road-Show Events at poetry festivals where we stage readings, workshops and sessions during which editors explain their different approaches.

Magma publishes three issues a year — Spring, Summer and Winter

Contributions and Correspondence

If you wish to contribute to Magma, please follow the guidelines on our Contributions page.

For general correspondence, please write to info@magmapoetry.com. (Do not send contributions to that email address) or to the following address:

Magma
23 Pine Walk
Carshalton SM5 4ES
UK

Copyright Notice

Copyright in the content of this website is held by Magma Poetry, with the exception of copyright in individual poems, articles and recordings, which remains with the author.