The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. An Autohagiography.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1969. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Large octavo. 960pp. Original quarter black cloth with grey papered boards, gilt title, etc. to spine, illustrations, top-edge tinted black. Crowley had originally intended that his "Confessions" would be published in six volumes, but only two of these had been published before the Great Depression and various internal disputes led to the demise of the publishers. The project languished uncompleted throughout Crowley's lifetime, and it was not until 1969 that the (somewhat abridged) material from all six volumes of "The Confessions" was issued in this large single volume edition, edited by John Symonds and Kenneth Grant. This is the first UK edition of that work - a US edition was released the following year. Still a major biographical sources on Crowley, and essential to an understanding of his life and magick. From the library of Oliver Marlow Wilkinson (1915-1999) dramatist, author, educator and raconteur. Oliver was the son of Louis Umfreville Wilkinson (1881-1966) an English man-of-letters who wrote a number of satirical autobiographical and fictional works, mostly under the pseudonym "Louis Marlow." Louis Umfreville Wilkinson was a good friend of Aleister Crowley's, the two had an extensive correspondence, and Crowley respected Louis's literary skills to the extent that he engaged him to prepare a popular edition of Crowley commentaries on "Liber AL." Crowley also made Louis one of his executors, and it was Louis Wilkinson who caused some uproar amongst the more excitable members of the press by reading from Crowley's "Hymn to Pan" and other of his works at the Beast's funeral. Louis's son Oliver also knew Crowley well; indeed he was the one that found Crowley the rooms at Netherwood that became his final home and Crowley, along with John Cowper Powys, is said to have jointly shared the honour of being Oliver's godfather. Oliver Wilkinson inherited many of the Crowley books and papers that had belonged to his father Louis, including a number of signed and inscribed items, etc. etc. In the 1980s Oliver refreshed his interest in Crowley, meeting with a number of contemporary Crowley afficiandos including Hymenaeus Beta, Clive Harper, Tony Naylor, Keith Richmond, Martin P. Starr, et al. At Tony Naylor's urging he also wrote an Introduction to a new edition of his father's book "Seven Friends" (which included a chapter-long reminiscense of Crowley) which Naylor published under his Mandrake Press Ltd. imprint in 1992. Oliver Marlow died in 1999, and in 2021 Weiser Antiquarian books acquired the remains of Oliver's Crowley collection, which comprised some of the books and pieces of ephemera that had belonged to his father, as well as books, such as this, that he himself had bought or was given in the 1980s and 1990s. A small posthumous book-label, tipped in at the rear, identifies it as having come from his collection. The covers of the book have a bit of light overall shelf-wear, edges of boards slightly darkened, edges a little flecked and dusty. The tinting of the top-edge has bled slightly into the upper margins of the photographic inserts, pages a little toned towards edges, but text is clean and unmarked. Overall a better than VG copy in near-VG mylar covered dust jacket (Dust jacket somewhat darkened overall. Chafing, creasing and light chipping to all edges and extremities, all corners of turn-overs clipped with extreme prejudice. Now protected by a removalbe mylar sleeve). Item #69740
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