Olla: An Anthology of Sixty Years of Song
London: O.T.O., 1946. First Edition, Limited Edition of 500 copies. Quarto, 128 pages, publisher's original dust jacket with design by Fried Harris. Publisher's original brown gilt lettered cloth covered boards. With the "Mark of the Beast" sigil accidently printed upside down on the top board. Frontispiece portrait by Augustus John. Olla: An Anthology of Sixty Years of Song (published in 1946) is Aleister Crowley's final collection of poetry, gathering together work composed across his lifetime. The book presents selections ranging from his earliest verse of the 1880s to his later mature pieces, offering a retrospective of his literary career. Crowley, better known for his role as an occultist and founder of Thelema, took poetry seriously as a central expression of his philosophy and inner life, and Olla was meant to stand as a definitive poetic testament. Its contents span themes of mysticism, eroticism, philosophy, and magical symbolism, often interlaced with his characteristic wit and audacity. Because it was issued in a very limited edition during the final years of his life, surviving copies are relatively scarce, and the book holds special significance for both collectors of Crowley's works and those interested in twentieth-century esoteric literature. Some soiling, tears and repairs to the dust jacket that is now in a protective mylar sleeve. Slight rubbing and wear, corners bumped, else in very good condition. Item #274
Price: $650.00