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Oxford Poetry is the oldest dedicated poetry magazine in the UK, and one of the oldest in the world. We publish some of the best new poetry being written today.

Founded in 1910, Oxford Poetry is the oldest dedicated poetry magazine in the UK, and one of the oldest in the world. We welcome submissions of poems, lyrical essays, and articles with a literary focus. 

We publish work by emerging as well as established writers, and all submissions are read by the editors. Our issues are not themed beyond focusing on poetry. 

Past contributors to the magazine include Margaret Atwood, Simon Armitage, Eavan Boland, Anne Carson, Jorie Graham, Seamus Heaney, Ishion Hutchinson, Philip Larkin, Paul Muldoon, Frederick Seidel, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Are there agents that rep poets? Of course there are! While your writing matters most, certain publications are shinier than others and help widen that toe-in-the-door space—like the ones below.

Poetry Magazines That Will Make Agents Notice You

The mags in this list are competitive and publish physical print editions, so you get the satisfaction of seeing your work in print: pocket-sized, book-like, tangible. Way cooler than you'd expect.

Reputable Lit Mags with Print Issues

A comprehensive guide to journals that regularly nominate work for the Pushcart Prize.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

All-time most competitive literary magazines. Getting published in these is a significant achievement for any writer.

Most Competitive Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most competitive poetry literary magazines. These legendary publications are where only the best poetry gets through.

Most Competitive Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Explore the most popular literary magazines of all time. These long-established publications are a staple in the literary world for writers of all genres.

Most Popular Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most popular poetry literary magazines. These outlets have maintained a significant presence in the world of poetry.

Most Popular Poetry-Only Literary Magazines of All Time

Discover the all-time most submitted-to poetry literary magazines. These publications have consistently attracted a high volume of poetry submissions.

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Discover the most submitted-to poetry literary magazines this year. These publications have consistently attracted a high volume of poetry submissions.

Most Submitted-To Poetry-Only Literary Magazines This Year

Highlights publications that regularly put forward essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction for Pushcart consideration.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Focuses specifically on poetry journals with established histories of Pushcart nominations.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Oxford Poetry

If you would like to write a review, essay, or article, please email the editors with a pitch at any time. The prose pieces we publish are generally between 1,500 and 3,000 words in length, but there are no strict limits.

You can find the relevant email here: https://oxfordpoetry.com/Submit.html

Lyric Essays

The submission window for issue 103 of Oxford Poetry is open from 15 September – 30 November 2026. Note that the deadline is end of day (midnight) in the time zone UTC.

We welcome submissions of poems by emerging as well as established writers, and all submissions are read by the editors. Our issues are not themed beyond focusing on poetry. We cannot offer individual feedback, but we do aim to respond to submissions within three months of the submission window closing. If you are interested in writing a poetry book review, lyrical essay, or article with a literary focus, please get in touch by email instead. If you are a low-income writer and would like to request free entry, please see our website for details.

 Submission guidelines
 - We will consider a maximum of 3 poems per submission. Send all poems together in a single document.
 - We accept submissions as PDFs only. This is to preserve formatting.
 - Work submitted must be unpublished. Simultaneous submissions are fine but please let us know (via Submittable) as soon as your work is accepted elsewhere.
 - Writers are eligible for publication regardless of their nationality or place of residence.
 - We only consider work in English. We do consider translations.
 - Poems submitted must be the entrant’s own original work, and must not have been generated, in whole or in part, by a chatbot or other artificial intelligence.
 - Include a short biographical note in your cover letter in the space provided. Do not attach an additional cover letter or include it in the poem file.
 - If you need to withdraw a poem in your submission, please send us a message through Submittable only, saying which poem you would like to withdraw. Note that if you click Withdraw, you are withdrawing your entire submission from consideration, not just a single poem.
 - Oxford Poetry and its editors cannot accept liability for any damage, loss, injury, or distress suffered by any person who has submitted their poem/s to the magazine.

Oxford Poetry awards the annual Oxford Poetry Prize for a single poem in the English language. The winner of the 2026 Oxford Poetry Prize receives £2,000, the runner-up £1,000, and third place £500. The winning poets are also offered publication in the print magazine.

Open to poets writing in English around the world.

Oxford Poetry

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Oxford Poetry

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