Introduction. Esotericism and Literature

Abstract

What is the relationship between Western esotericism and literature? This seemingly straightforward question formed the basis for a workshop held on May 4-5, 2017 at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, University of Gothenburg. Organised by Henrik Bogdan and Dag Hedman, the participants included Karolina Enqvist Källgren (University of Gothenburg), Per Faxneld (Mid Sweden University), Christine Ferguson (University of Stirling), Christian Giudice (University of Gothenburg), Manon Hedenborg White (Uppsala University), Henrik Johnsson (Aarhus University), Sten Wistrand (Örebro University), and Andreas Önnerfors (University of Gothenburg). The question was approached from the perspectives of literature studies, history of religions, and history of ideas, and the examples discussed ranged from occultist authors such as Stanislaw Przybyszewski, Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, Jack Parsons, Kenneth Grant, traditionalist authors such as René Guénon and 20th-century philosopher María Zambrano, to well- known authors such as Marie Corelli, Gustav Meyerink, Gérard de Nerval, and now near-forgotten Swedish suspense fiction author Frank Heller. [---]