What is Dark Academia?
Rooted in works like Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History,' dark academia romanticizes universities, ancient languages, and the arts while exploring elitism, obsession, and often murder. It grew into a broader visual and literary aesthetic on Tumblr and TikTok, defined by gothic campuses, tweed, and a preoccupation with mortality.
Example books
- The Secret History , Donna Tartt
- If We Were Villains , M.L. Rio
- Babel , R.F. Kuang