The magazine was conceived in an atmosphere of intellectual crisis, following the brain drain from Nigeria, during the Sani Abacha regime.

It was founded by Olakunle Tejuoso and his brother Toyin (whose family owns the Lagos alternative bookstore, after which the journal is named).

[citation needed] Although it was initially focused on Nigeria's arts and cultures, Glendora grew into a pan-African journal, with regular features and interviews of icons such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Mbongeni Ngema, Sembene Ousmane, Sun Ra, and other critical texts on African literature.

The last issue of Glendora appeared in 2004, and its publishers have since focused on the publication of books, such as Lagos: A City At Work on the West African megapolis, .

A strong aesthetic sense, coupled with an editorial style that (while rigorous) managed to avoid being too intellectual or esoteric, attracted a wide-ranging readership in Nigeria and abroad.