What We Seek

Candlelit Chronicles is a literary magazine dedicated to all things Dark Academia.

What is Dark Academia?

Dark Academia is an aesthetic centered around old universities, crumbling estates, ancient libraries, hidden passages, secret societies, brilliant minds, old scrolls, quills, tweed, steaming cups of tea, stormy weather, roaring fires, candles in the night, and misty graveyards—all that is academic, atmospheric, and mysterious. It typically explores human nature, psychology, philosophy, morality, and the search for knowledge and meaning.

Common Elements of Dark Academia

To be a work of Dark Academia, a combination of at least some of the elements below must be present.

Settings

  • Old University

  • Boarding school

  • Gothic Manor

  • Library/bookshop

  • Ornate garden

  • Historic location

Characters

  • Professor

  • Student

  • Detective

  • Alchemist

  • Philosopher

  • Bookkeeper

  • Intellectual

  • Bibliophile

Atmosphere

  • Weather (e.g., blustery, tempestuous, rainy, foggy)

  • Architecture/Interiors (e.g., ornate stonework, statues, dark halls, hidden passages, moody fabrics like leather and velvets, antiques)

  • Objects of mystery (e.g., ancient manuscripts, secret messages, ciphers, codes)

  • Mood (e.g., gas lanterns, roaring fires, burning candles, eerie shadows)

Themes

  • Intellectualism (e.g., love of learning, pursuit of knowledge, lost knowledge, love of books)

  • Elements of darkness (e.g., murder, madness, driven to extremes by passion or ambition, evil antagonist)

  • Suspense (e.g., secret to uncover, hidden mystery, secret society, imperiled character, a chase)

  • Philosophy (e.g., exploring morally gray characters, probing human nature, the search for meaning)

  • Fantastical Elements (e.g., magic, the otherworldly, strange happenings)

Examples of Dark Academia Genres

  • Mystery

  • Literary Fiction

  • Magical Realism

  • Historical Fiction

  • Gothic Fiction

  • Thriller

  • Fantasy

Works Accepted

We accept work from people of all ages and experience levels. Our main priority is quality but among works of equal artistic merit, we prioritize young writers and first-time writers who are trying to break into the market and get their first works published.