Rising and Falling on the Price of Paper: The Story of Mandrake

Founded at Oxford by John Wain, Mandrake (1945–1956) aspired to be more than an undergraduate poetry magazine. Under the capable hands of subsequent editor Arthur Boyars, the journal raised its profile. However, despite a double issue focusing on Italian Arts, early poems by Kingsley Amis and Philip Larkin, and committed intellectual engagement with postwar letters, Mandrake has not received sustained critical attention. This article draws upon personal interviews with editor Boyars and archival material to reconstruct and retell the story of Mandrake, hoping to convey its context and its value within the field of periodical studies.