On this week's show, Leah Prime drops in to discuss rare and cursed books! From incunabula to anthropodermic bindings, to books of occult lore, Leah shares her wealth of knowledge about rare books and manuscripts from around the world in a fascinating conversation with AP. She discusses her backstory, and what led her to an academic life in rare texts. They also talk about the history of printing, what goes into preservation of old volumes, and the lore surrounding books such as the. Codex Gigas. Also discussed are trends within western esotericism and their Hebrew roots, and works such as The Book of Abramelin, and their impact on modern occultism.
The far-reaching conversation also covers The Voynich Manuscript and its attendant mysteries, as well as more modern rare and mythical works such as Agrippa (The Book of the Dead) by William Gibson. It was a fascinating journey through the history of print as a medium, with no shortage of weird items along the way!
Leah can be found on Twitter or BlueSky, or on Substack at @leahprime