When it comes to autumn, we all have our rituals. For some, it's turning on Netflix and watching Gilmore Girls for the 1000th time. For others, it's finding a cosy corner and reading Donna Tartt's The Secret History.
The book, published in 1992, follows six Classics students at an elite college in New England. Eccentric, clever and newly-inspired by their charismatic professor, they go down a path of academic obsession that eventually leads to violence.
The Secret History is a foundational text for the online subculture known as 'dark academia'. Forget the leafy-hued throws and pumpkin-themed decor traditionally associated with autumn, this movement combines gothic elements with vintage, scholarly aesthetics.
In the interiors world, this means antiquated decor, literary prints and Greco-Roman motifs. It's perfect for anyone with a love of literature and a desire to explore more moody, classically-inspired interiors.
As this edit shows, an elegant armchair, Grecian ornament or well-chosen poster all help capture the aesthetic in a simple but effective way. Perhaps you can then wander into a secondhand bookstore and pick up an old hardback (Charles Dickens has always been a particular influence on Tartt)? Read on – and, of course – read The Secret History while you're at it.
Liz's Dark Academia Edit
Beatrice II Velvet Armchair
