Textual Secrecy: Arthur Machen and ‘The True Literature of Occultism’

Abstract

Arthur Machen (1863-1947) read The Book of NicholasFlamelas a child and later in his life spent several years cataloguing books on occult matters for the antiquarian bookseller George Redway. The result of his work was an annotated catalogue, The Literature of Occultism and Archaeology(1885), that referenced works on alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and animal magnetism (among others). The Welsh writer was more than well versed in the occult and esoteric philosophies that are often referred to and sometimes discussed in his works of fiction. In an article entitled ‘The Cult of the Secret’ (1926), Machen underlines that humanity has always been drawn to secret societies and mysterious rites, a powerful attraction he personally experienced.