Observations Moments Poetry

Onomatopoeia is a global poetry and art collaboration and publication. Produced by Amy Shelver, it features a collection of her writing, spanning a 20 year period, and enriched by works of art, photography, design, and multimedia from a global community of more than 100 artists and creatives.

Onomatopoeia Poetry book cover

Welcome To Onomatopoeia

A fantastic, anti-ekphrastic collaboration and publication.

Onomatopoeia is a digital poetry publication with life in print. But it is more than that. It is a call to collaborative arms. It draws together more than 100 artists from around the world asking them to respond to the writing. This is the “anti-ekphrastic” movement: art inspired by text. Normally this happens the other way around, but there is nothing normal about this alliance.

Onomatopoeia: Observations, moments, poetry sets the stage for a digital gallery of artworks and writing and offers artists a platform to showcase their work and collaborate with other scribes. The first publication of more to come, Onomatopoeia follows the coming of poetic age story, back to front, of the author Amy Shelver. Initially, a nostalgic project meant to be between Amy and her artist friends, it quickly grew into a bigger production and the seed for a greater ambition to become a platform for future anti-ekphrastic collaborations that tell and sell the stories of our time.

Author

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Artists

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Art Featured

Uncover the artistic responses – design, photography, painting, sculpture, multimedia and more – to the written word underpinning Onomatopoeia’s anti-ekphrastic journey.

'Peace Part (V) - 88 Minutes before waking up' artwork by Louwrens Westraad

A god missing By amy Shelver In the angry spoken word Where is my god?  In the pain of disease, Where is my god?  In the anguish

'Shampoo on concrete background ' artwork by Konrad Geel

A descent By Amy Shelver You could always undress me with your words. With all this need for reassurance, I cannot be so sure. Your

Artwork: Slumflower 3 (2016) | Pola Maneli | Adobe Photoshop and Pencil , 42cm x 42cm | Artist's collection, Port Elizabeth | R1 500.00

Slumflower 3 – Pola Maneli

Artwork: Alchemist (2018) | Gregory Kerr | Oil on canvas, 130cm x 100cm (±10cm all round framed) | Underculture Gallery, Port Elizabeth | R83 000.00

Alchemist – Gregory Kerr

Artwork: Almost free (2019) | Michael Barry | Monotype, A4 | Almost free | Sold

Almost Free – Michael Barry

Poem Featured

Peek into the publication and delve into the latest featured piece of writing.

Dolly on Dolly

Dolly Amy Shelver

Stop at the door,
you yellow dragon,
before the trapdoor opens.

Pause on the floor,
you tangerine temptress,
before the ocean deepens.

Halt by the law,
you golden gremlin,
before the coming rebellion.
I will eat you and disappear into oblivion.

Chapters

Peek into the publication and delve into the latest featured piece of writing.

Upcoming Projects

We are working on some exciting new projects. Want to participate? Discover what’s next on the anti-ekphrastic horizon where writers and artists meet to make magic on the page.

Addictionary

ADDICTIONARY

Addictionary is an A to Z of bizarre, sad, funny stories, anecdotes, conversations, experiences, journeys, and moments across the spectrum of addiction.

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Coffee AI-me project image. Teal coffee cup with sound wave in it.

COFFEE AI-ME

Coffee AI-Me is a podcast series with Amy Shelver and friends discussing innovation, technology and the future as it happens to real people in real-time 

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Ponytales woman black against pink backdrop

PONYTALES

Ponytales is a collection of women’s stories of mishaps and metamorphoses in a changing world where the power balance is shifting, but not always towards greater equality.

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Backing Creativity

We’re backed by the best. The gratitude to our sponsors is limitless. We thank them for getting our vision and for having the foresight and for getting involved up front. If you too want to sponsor the evolution of anti-ekphrastic collaboration, reach out to us. 

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