literalogue visual guide to the greats of literature by john o'sullivan

literalogue visual guide to the greats of literature by john o’sullivan
all images courtesy of john o’sullivan

‘literalogue’ is a visual guide consisting of over 100 illustrated portraits of poets, authors and writers who have helped shaped the written word as we know it today. exploring 40 major movements, as well as several lesser ones, the five-century spanning project was created by london based architect and designer john o’sullivan. ‘literalogue’ features two products; a limited-run postcard box-set and a series of A3 size coated art posters. 

packaging

the front of each consists of a literary quote and a visualization of the featured’s literary movement — cleverly, and simply, disguised by a color coded system of noses. if you happen to be nosy for more details, a quick flip of the card will show a plethora of information including: key facts, must-read titles, and similar authors. they’re a useful tool that quickly allows readers to brush up and explore the archives of lit., using pre-existing personal tastes and preferences.

herman melville framed, with poster-card box set 

both products, including a bonus box set highlighting 40 living masters, are currently gathering funds on kickstarter. for more information, or to support your favorite ink slingers, visit the campaign here. ‘literalogue’ showcases: aphra behn, john keats, herman melville, marcel proust, stephen crane, T.S. eliot, jorge luis borges, aldous huxley, J.D. salinger, leo tolstoy, D.H. lawrence, walt whitman, ezra pound, W.B. yeats, james baldwin, virginia woolf, jules verne, henry miller, william carlos williams, oscar wilde, jean-paul sartre, gertrude stein, simone de beauvoire, william burroughs, charles bukowski, and much, much more. 

keep it in your favorite nook for a quick dose of insight 

james joyce 

stephen crane and his signature mustache 

william carlos williams, ‘if they give you lined paper write the other way’ 

william burroughs, front and back

T.S. eliot, aphra behn, james joyce, herman melville, aldous huxley, walt whitman

100 authors to discover 

each poster comes wrapped in a solid cardboard tube 

25 sample authors 

designboom has received this project through its ‘DIY submissions’ feature, which welcomes readers to submit their own work for publication. see more designboom readers submissions here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom