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The Dark Horse Magazine

About

The Dark Horse was founded in 1995 by the Scottish poet Gerry Cambridge. It is an international literary magazine committed to British, Irish and American poetry, and is published from Scotland. We like to think that the journal is characterised by a clear-sighted scepticism and an eye for the genuine. We understand that hype, in its presumption of consensus, is irrelevant to readers of any individuality. Not that we equate poetry with solemnity. We are, by turns, or sometimes simultaneously, serious, wry, humorous, iconoclastic.

Important: Offers a USA address for North American submissions and subscriptions.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United Kingdom
Established in 1995

Publication Medium & Frequency

Print Publication Print Publication
Published 2 x per year

AI Policy

Unknown AI policy

Poetry Open

While we are glad to print poetry in metre and rhyme, we remember Randall Jarrell’s “Where poems have hearts, a metronome is beating here.” We believe that we can recognise poems of sound heart. Not being evangelical or overly partisan, we also print compelling free verse.

Audience:

Open to a broad Audience.

Genres:

General

Lengths:

Poem: No line limits known; Up to 6 pieces.

Poetry Forms:

Formal verse, Free verse, Metrical, Rhyming.

Styles:

Open to all/most Styles, including: Literary.

Topics:

Open to all/most Topics.

Payment:

No monetary payment No monetary payment.

Submissions:

Method: Postal.
Reprints: Reprints are NOT allowed.
Simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are allowed.
Media: Text.

Always check guidelines for details and restrictions. If you aren't familiar with these terms, see our glossary.

The Dark Horse Magazine Submission Statistics

The statistics in this section are compiled from submission reports sent to us through our submission tracker. They are not provided by the publication's editors/staff or by Duotrope's admins. Information in this section is updated a few times per day. Learn more about the statistics.

Filter:
Accuracy
We have received 1 report within the past 12 months, not including pending responses (see below). The more responses reported, the more accurate the information.
Pending
4 responses are pending (53 min | 126.3 mean avg | 123.5 median | 205 max days waiting | 83.6 std dev) from 4 different members This only includes pending reports from people who have been active on Duotrope within the past 30 days

Other Information

The editors will try to make a decision within 120 days. (100.0 % of the responses reported to us for this listing have taken longer than 120 days.)
Do not query on the status of your submission before 120 days have passed.
Date compiled: 16 Sep 2026 18:46 UTC (2 hours, 43 minutes ago).

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Your Submissions

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Before Submitting

We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is correct. It is not unusual for publications to evolve or close without notice. We do our best to keep up, but it isn't always possible. Duotrope listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation of the project being listed. Before submitting, you should use your own judgment to determine whether the project meets your standards.

  • Always read the full guidelines provided by the publisher.
  • Try to read at least one previous publication to get a better idea of what the editor would like to see.
  • Unless the publisher's guidelines state otherwise, always use industry standard manuscript formatting.
  • Be professional, patient, and persistent.

Dates

Last Updated: 21 Jul 2026

We check their guidelines for changes every four weeks, and we audit the listing twice a year.

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