On Saturday, September 13, I was privileged to run a haiku workshop for approx 20 eager haiku enthusiasts at the Bundaberg Enterprise Centre. During the first half of the session we discussed several definitions of haiku, asked the question - are the syllables important?, looked at the fragment and phrase theory, the importance of nature and the senses and some basic rules for writing haiku. With this knowledge, we looked at eight haiku and critiqued them, to get everyone thinking about what really makes a haiku sing. We then examined eight techniques used when composing haiku, looked at a series of questions to help revise your writing and spent some time composing/critiquing the group's original haiku. The results, I must say were absolutely wonderful. The best feedback was given to me at the breakfast the following morning... when several of the group told me they had been up all night writing haiku. The haiku bug had certainly bitten!

by Graham Nunn