In 1970, a group of University of Toronto graduate students produced mimeographed copies of the first issue of Descant for the Graduate English Association. Jane Shen was the first editor of Descant and Karen Mulhallen became the editor in 1973 for all subsequent issues. The magazine was run out of her home for the first six years she was editor; Managing Editor worked in Karen Mulhallen's home office for three years. Descant received Charitable organizations status in 1988. From 1972 until the last issue published in 2015, the magazine was perfect bound. There are approximately 25 contributors per issue, in poetry, fiction and non-fiction, as well as visual artists in photography, painting and mixed media. A number of issues include a full-colour gatefold and, since issue No. 133, the magazine includes colour in the text as well. Several issues are double issues. Three of Descant magazine's special issues were also published as books: Views from the North ; Patria, by R. Murray Schafer ; and Tasks of Passion: Dennis Lee at Mid-career. Four anthologies of student-teacher writing were published as part of Descant's Students, Writers and Teachers outreach programme: Armadillo, Barracuda, Capybara and Dromedary. In 1995, HarperCollins published Paper Guitar: 27 Writers Celebrate 25 Years of Descant Magazine including contributions from Margaret Atwood, Rosemary Sullivan, Timothy Findley, Alberto Manguel, Katherine Govier, Leon Rooke, Evelyn Lau and W. P. Kinsella. From 1993 until its close in 2015, the Descant office was located in the historic George Brown House, at 50 Baldwin Avenue in Toronto. In December, 2014, Karen Mulhallen that the magazine would be closing due to ongoing financial hardship. Descant ceased publication with its last issue in the winter of 2014, after 45 years of publication. The last issue, No. 167, In a Cabinet of Curiosities, was launched in Toronto in January 2015. On March 25, 2015, Descant hosted a farewell party at Revival Bar in Toronto. The Master of Ceremonies was author Antanas Sileika, former Descant co-editor, and Director of the Humber College School for Writers. Descant magazine maintains a limited social media presence through their website, blog and Twitter account.
Awards
The magazine won six Canadian National Magazine Awards: Silver, poetry ; Gold, fiction ; Silver, Editorial Package ; Silver, essays ; Gold, poetry ; Silver, fiction. It was nominated for poetry and received Honourable Mentions in 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004 and 2006. Descant is also the recipient of the Writers' Trust of CanadaJourney Prize for fiction,. In 2014, contributing writer Lori McNulty was shortlisted for the Journey Prize. In 1988, Descant magazine won the Litho Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Printing Industry.
Structure and operating grants
Descant magazine was published by the DescantArts and Letters Foundation, a legally separate entity with no editorial input into the magazine. A managing editor position was filled on a part-time basis. Design and technical support were employed on a contract basis. Submissions to the magazine were assessed by volunteers at open editorial meetings. Volunteer co-editors worked with interns and contract support to produce the magazine. Contributing editors to the magazine were: , Mark Kingwell, Alberto Manguel, and Rosemary Sullivan. Among other sources of financial support, Descant received the following operating grants from 1974 to 2014:
Descant developed and received funding for a number of literary outreach programs: SWAT, , , and grief-writing workshops.
Winston Collins/''Descant'' Prize for Best Canadian Poem
This prize was awarded from 2007 to 2014. Winners and judges are listed on the . Each year two judges were chosen: one man and one woman, one living outside of Ontario, and neither one a published poet. Prize winners received CDN $1,000.
