Black Letter Press

10/12/2025

We will have the late pledges option open for some extra days!

A mysterious 18th-century alchemical manuscript, never before transcribed or translated.

06/12/2025

Clavis Artis, last hours of the campaign, last chance to support and ensure one of our limited deals!

A mysterious 18th-century alchemical manuscript, never before transcribed or translated.

02/12/2025

We are pleased to announce that Hunter Dukes is writing the preface for our Clavis Artis edition on Kickstarter.
As managing editor of The Public Domain Review, he has previously conducted research on Clavis Artis, bringing valuable context to this project. His background in literary and cultural history ensures a clear and well-informed introduction to the work.
-> Link in bio!

25/11/2025

Black Friday week is here! We’re celebrating with discounts up to 30% on selected titles in our shop.
It’s the perfect moment to pick up that book you’ve been eyeing or stock up on gifts for your favourite readers!

BLACK LETTER PRESS is a small, independent publisher, found by Alice Winkler and Claudio Rocchetti. We specialize on the revive of unusual, old and rare books on a broad range of topics, like the sciences and the history of science, poetry, occult philosophy, art, curious and pe

12/11/2025

We’re happy to share that the printing of Ars Theurgia is finished. Pre-orders will be shipped out next week, and the second edition is now available for anyone who missed the first run.

04/11/2025

CLAVIS ARTIS
Our new Kickstarter campaign has just begun!
A full transcription and translation of Clavis Artis, one of the most enigmatic alchemical manuscripts of the early modern period.

Produced in the early 18th century and attributed to Zoroaster, the Clavis Artis bridges mysticism, natural philosophy, and visual art. Only three manuscript copies are known to exist, each preserving fragments of an elaborate alchemical cosmology.

Our new publication unites the complete German text of the Munich manuscript with the vivid illustrations of the Trieste copy, restoring the manuscript as a living dialogue between image and idea.
Featuring a preface by Hunter Dukes (The Public Domain Review) and a new translation by Mark Kanak, this is the first time Clavis Artis will appear as a unified work of text and image.

04/11/2025

Clavis Artis will be online today!

A mysterious 18th-century alchemical manuscript, never before transcribed or translated.

29/10/2025

Embark on a journey through the mesmerising realms of two literary classics: "Flowers of Evil" by Charles Baudelaire and "A Season in Hell" by Arthur Rimbaud.

Baudelaire's collection of poetry delves deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of beauty, decadence, and desire with unparalleled eloquence and insight. Each verse is a window into the soul, revealing the complexities of human experience in all its raw and unfiltered glory.

In contrast, Rimbaud's autobiographical work offers a raw and visceral exploration of his own tumultuous life and inner turmoil. Through vivid and evocative prose, Rimbaud takes readers on a journey through the depths of despair, chronicling his struggles with identity, love, and the search for meaning in a world consumed by chaos.


Both texts stand as towering achievements in the realm of literature, challenging conventional notions of beauty, truth, and morality. Their enduring relevance and profound insights into the human condition continue to captivate readers to this day, making them essential additions to any literary library. Whether you're a seasoned poetry enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of French literature, "Flowers of Evil" and "A Season in Hell" promise an enriching and unforgettable reading experience.

25/10/2025

Pre-orders for the 2nd edition of Discoverie of Witchcraft are now open! Take the chance to get the book at a discounted price. This edition is at the Binders now, we will receive the books in 2 weeks!

https://www.blackletter-press.com/product-page/reginald-scot-the-discoverie-of-witchcraft

The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published by Reginald Scot in 1584, is a groundbreaking work that challenges the existence of witchcraft and the widespread persecution of alleged witches. It is special for its comprehensive documentation of magical practices, spells, and conjurations, making it one of the earliest compendia of magic and witchcraft. While aiming to debunk superstitions, Scot meticulously catalogued the occult knowledge of his time, preserving a wealth of information about historical magical traditions. The book promotes scepticism and rationalism while serving as an invaluable resource on early modern occultism.



Scot was deeply motivated by a desire to oppose the irrational and un-Christian prosecution of alleged witches. He held the Roman Catholic Church largely responsible for perpetuating these superstitions and targeted prominent writers such as Jean Bodin, author of Démonomanie des Sorciers, and Jacobus Sprenger, co-author of the infamous Malleus Maleficarum. In contrast, Scot respected figures like Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Johann Weyer, adopting some of their more rational views on demonology.

The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published by Reginald Scot in 1584, is a groundbreaking work that challenges the existence of witchcraft and the widespread persecution of alleged witches. It is special for its comprehensive documentation of magical practices, spells, and conjurations, making it one of...

23/10/2025

It's time to get excited...

A mysterious 18th-century alchemical manuscript, never before transcribed or translated.

09/10/2025

William Blake — For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise

Composed 1793, revised c. 1818
Line engraving and etching.

In 1793 William Blake produced eighteen small engravings, which he called For Children: The Gates of Paradise, a series of emblems drawn from the large number of designs in Blake’s Notebook. Blake arranged them according to the life of man from birth to death, and while these emblems have a great deal in common with children’s books of the time, they are in fact extremely complex in thought and allusion: a journey through water and earth, wind and fire; emerging as a child from the ‘mundane shell’, encountering women and reaching for the Moon of Love (‘I want, I want’), and falling into Time’s Ocean. After several more episodes, he finally arrives at the death’s door with Job’s words, ‘I have said to the Worm: Thou art my mother and my sister’. There a female figure is ‘Weaving to Dreams the Sexual strife, And Weeping over the Web of Life’.

In about 1818, Blake revised the original plates, giving the work the new title of For the Sexes: The Gates of Paradise. He re-engraved some, altered others, rewriting some of the legends and adding three plates of engraved text to the end (Plates 19-21). The final plate is addressed to Satan as the ‘God of this [Fallen] World’.
Only five copies of this little book of emblems have survived, one of which was in Blake’s possession at his death.

It is this final edition we reproduce. As with all Black Letter Press publications, the design of this most mysterious book harkens to the Golden Age of book-cover design and is housed in a beautifully crafted cloth cover slipcase, emblazoned with a gilded Black Letter Press motif. The handwritten text for each emblem is reproduced on its facing page.

09/09/2025

Our first edition special goes on, but we have very few titles/quantities left. Hurry up if interested!