Occultism and the Novel

Occultists have long used literary works to transmit their esoteric ideas. One sees it as early as 1616 in alchemical fantasmagoria Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz,  but it really takes off in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which are the focus of tonight's talk.  In this lecture, Dr. Christian Giudice explores the great British tradition of esoteric fiction, taking in John Keats and Edward Bulwer Lytton of the nineteenth century, before diving into a look at Dion Fortune and Aleister Crowley of the early twentieth, and concluding writers like Ithell Colquhoun and Kenneth Grant who were occult greats of the middle of the latter century. The weaving of theory, character and plot makes a fascinating subject, and we promise to fire your urge to read and re-read tales in this genre with a keener and more appreciative eye. 

This is the fourth lecture in 'Occultism and Modernity,' a series of eight lectures on the themes of occultism and modernity at Tradwells, autumn-winter 2019-20. The series lecturer, Dr Chris Giudice, completed his doctorate in Western Esotericism at University of Gothenburg and now lives in London. He recently founded Kamuret Press (www.kamuret.com)