Black Magic

A rediscovered gothic classic with a groundbreaking, gender-nonconforming protagonist at its heart.

‘I do not sin,’ he smiled. ‘I am Sin’

In a quiet medieval city, alone in his shadowy chambers, Dirk Renswoude worships the devil.

Then the wind brings the young scholar Thierry to his door. Could this beautiful man share his dark obsession? Under a hushed midnight sky, the pair swear themselves to the black arts, and to one another.

Yet Dirk shies away at the slightest touch. He will not discuss his past. As the duo hex their way across moonlit woodlands and learned cities, it becomes clear that Dirk will stop at nothing to live the life he desires, while concealing one precious secret.

First published in 1909, Black Magic is the remarkable rediscovered tale of a gender-nonconforming rebel.

'A subtle and complex thriller…Just don’t give away its secret' Washington Post

The Vintage Classics WEIRD GIRLS series ventures into the dark heart of the uncanny with disturbing, and disturbed, protagonists who dare to defy the norm. Bold, disruptive, chilling and enchanting, these tales of the weird are strange enough to get lost in.