Dark Mountain Project
Dark Mountain Project is a UK non-profit literary publisher, founded in Bristol in 2009/2010 by Paul Kingsnorth and Dougald Hine, producing biannual anthologies (Dark Mountain Journal) funded by reader subscriptions, donations, and book sales, with no institutional capital or proprietary technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Dark Mountain Project does
Dark Mountain Project is a UK-based non-profit literary publishing organisation founded in 2009/2010 and headquartered in Bristol. It publishes the Dark Mountain Journal, a biannual anthology series that has reached Issue 29+, with editorial direction rooted in ecological and civilisational themes established by its founders, Paul Kingsnorth and Dougald Hine. The organisation operates as a cultural and editorial venture rather than a commercial enterprise, and there is no evidence of institutional investment, advertising revenue, or proprietary technology underpinning its products.
Its core product is a printed/edited anthology released twice yearly, distributed through book sales and supported by reader subscriptions and donations. The business model is reader-supported and community-funded, with no venture capital or institutional backing disclosed. The 51-100 employee headcount appears anomalous for a niche literary publisher and likely reflects a broad contributor, contractor, and community base rather than a conventional full-time publishing workforce.
The organisation has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no technology platform of its own, and no enterprise contracts; its commercial surface is limited to small-ticket print sales and donor contributions. Recently, the project transitioned to Substack as a publishing and engagement channel, indicating a digital-first distribution layer layered on top of the existing print anthology format, with confirmed publishing activity extending through 2026.
Dark Mountain Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dark Mountain Project
- Website
- https://dark-mountain.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Dark Mountain Project is a UK non-profit literary publisher, founded in Bristol in 2009/2010 by Paul Kingsnorth and Dougald Hine, producing biannual anthologies (Dark Mountain Journal) funded by reader subscriptions, donations, and book sales, with no institutional capital or proprietary technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dark Mountain Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Literary Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Dark Mountain Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Dark Mountain Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sale of Dark Mountain anthology books through their online shop, including individual issues (Issues 1-26+), special themed issues, and selected works compilations like 'Walking on Lava'.
- Subscriptions: Annual subscription model providing subscribers with two new Dark Mountain books each year, starting with the next issue published after subscription.
- Donations: Reader donations via PayPal that support the running of Dark Mountain, including book production, administration, online edition, commissioning work, and event production. The organization states it is entirely reader-supported.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Dark Mountain Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dark Mountain Project publishes themed literary anthologies twice yearly exploring ecological crisis, uncivilisation, and cultural transformation, alongside an online edition of essays, poetry, and art. It sells individual book issues, special compilations (such as 'Walking on Lava'), and annual reader subscriptions that deliver two new books per year, supplemented by donations, workshops, and community gatherings.
Product overview
Dark Mountain Project is an entirely reader-supported publishing organisation producing thematic book anthologies (Issues 1-29+) twice yearly alongside a rich online edition. The core offerings consist of the Dark Mountain book issues exploring ecological and cultural themes, the founding Uncivilisation Manifesto, the online edition with weekly content across multiple thematic categories, and subscription services. Supplementary offerings include workshop series such as 'How We Walk Through the Fire' and organised events and gatherings. The organisation maintains independence through reader support and donations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dark Mountain Book Issues (Issues 1–29+) A biannual series of themed print and digital anthologies containing non-fiction, fiction, poetry, interviews, and artwork exploring ecological crisis, uncivilisation, and cultural transformation, sold to individual readers worldwide.
- Uncivilisation: The Dark Mountain Manifesto The founding document of the Dark Mountain Project, outlining its philosophy and approach to cultural response to ecological crisis, sold directly via the online shop.
- Walking on Lava: Selected Works for Uncivilised Times
- Dark Mountain Subscriptions
- How We Walk Through the Fire Workshop Series A paid series of workshops revolving around the eight fires of the ancestral solar year, combining online sessions and in-person encounters to build cultural practices aligned with seasonal cycles.
- Events and Gatherings
Companies that use Dark Mountain Project
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Dark Mountain Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Dark Mountain Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Dark Mountain Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Emergence Magazine: A literary and multimedia publication exploring ecology, culture, and the relationship between humans and the natural world. Highly comparable to Dark Mountain's 'uncivilisation' ethos, with overlapping themes of ecological crisis and storytelling — though Emergence leans more multimedia/film while Dark Mountain centres print anthologies.
- Orion Magazine: A US-based literary magazine focused on the intersection of nature, culture, and place. Shares Dark Mountain's mission of fostering creative responses to environmental issues and serves a similar reader community of writers, artists, and ecologically engaged readers.
- Resurgence & Ecologist: A long-running UK-based magazine covering ecology, sustainability, and creative culture. Closely comparable in geography (UK), longevity, and the blend of literary/environmental content; addresses an overlapping readership of culturally engaged environmental thinkers.
- Ecotone: A literary magazine publishing work about place and the natural world, based at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Comparable in format (themed issues of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry about ecology/place) and mission of bridging literary art with environmental engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Granta: A prestigious UK-based literary magazine and book publisher with a broad literary mandate. Comparable as a UK literary periodical with themed issues and a high cultural profile, though Granta's scope is general literary rather than ecologically focused.
- The White Review: A UK-based arts and literature magazine featuring fiction, poetry, essays, and visual art. Comparable as a London-adjacent literary periodical publishing themed issues and engaging writers/poets — though without Dark Mountain's ecological thesis.
- Yes! Magazine: A US-based nonprofit magazine covering sustainability, social justice, and ecological themes. Comparable in non-profit, reader-supported publishing of issue-based journalism on ecological and cultural topics, but broader in scope and more journalism-driven.
- Lapham's Quarterly: A literary magazine drawing on historical writing around a single theme per issue. Comparable as a thematically curated literary periodical, though its scope is broadly historical rather than ecologically focused.
Emerging players
- Earthlines: A UK-based publication exploring human relationship with the natural world through writing and art. Closely overlapping thematically with Dark Mountain (place, ecology, narrative) but operating on a smaller, more focused scale.
Others
- Aeon Magazine: An online magazine publishing essays on philosophy, ecology, culture, and the natural world. Compares to Dark Mountain's online edition as a long-form, essay-driven publication engaging with ecological and cultural ideas, though without the print anthology component.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dark Mountain Project social profiles
Digital presenceDark Mountain Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dark Mountain Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Dark Mountain Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dark Mountain Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dark Mountain Project
What does Dark Mountain Project do?
Dark Mountain Project publishes themed literary anthologies twice yearly exploring ecological crisis, uncivilisation, and cultural transformation, alongside an online edition of essays, poetry, and art. It sells individual book issues, special compilations (such as 'Walking on Lava'), and annual reader subscriptions that deliver two new books per year, supplemented by donations, workshops, and community gatherings.
Is Dark Mountain Project a public or private company?
Dark Mountain Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dark Mountain Project founded?
Dark Mountain Project was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Dark Mountain Project based?
Dark Mountain Project is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Dark Mountain Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscriptions and donations.
Who are Dark Mountain Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Emergence Magazine, Orion Magazine, Resurgence & Ecologist and Ecotone. Broad incumbents are Granta, The White Review, Yes! Magazine and Lapham's Quarterly. Earthlines is listed as an emerging player. Aeon Magazine is listed as an others.
Does Dark Mountain Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dark Mountain Project.
What industry is Dark Mountain Project in?
Dark Mountain Project's product category is Independent Literary Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.