Description
Ophir: Journal of South African Poetry – Issue No. 1 (May 1967) – Scarce Inaugural Issue
An exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire the foundational first issue of Ophir, published in May 1967. Launched independently in Pretoria by a radical circle of writers including Peter Horn, Walter Saunders, and Phil du Plessis, Ophir (1967–1976) quickly grew to become one of the most politically disruptive and stylistically experimental literary journals of the Apartheid era.
Conceived around the theme of the sea (“sea / see”), this debut issue features the iconic turquoise-blue cover, a deliberate aesthetic choices designed by the editors. Printed on a tiny, fragile print run of just 200 copies—partially executed on a hand-press in Peter Horn’s garage before the machinery broke down—surviving copies of this inaugural milestone are incredibly difficult to source.
This debut issue marks the genesis of a journal that would go on to introduce the country to avant-garde concrete poetry, while defiantly opening its pages to banned, dissident, and underground Black Consciousness voices.
Contributors to No. 1 include: Peter Horn, Walter Saunders, Michael Macnamara, Phil du Plessis, Wilhelm Knobel, Jill King, and P. de W. Venter. Condition: Very Good / Vintage. The turquoise card cover shows light, natural sun-toning and aging along the right margin, with very light spine wear. The original staples show expected minor rusting, but the 16-page text block remains entirely tight, flat, crisp, and free from any internal markings or library stamps. An exceptional museum-grade copy.
