The anthology was launched by Libby Hathorn, award winning writer and poet with over 50 books for children and young adults to her credit. Libby recently compiled, with Rachael Bailey, Women’s Work: a contemporary collection of women’s poetry. Libby has been has been an Australia Day Ambassador for over 15 years and talks of Australian literature, especially poetry, on Australia Day in country towns across the state.

It was a joy to hear 27 poets read their own work. The tanka of deceased poet, Merle Connolly, was read by a close relative, and the work of two other poets who had been scheduled to attend but were prevented by illness, were read on their behalf.

After a short break, Dawn Bruce introduced readings from Eucalypt; a tanka journal edited by Beverley George, and the first journal in Australia for tanka only. Dawn Bruce is an Australian poet, living in Sydney. She leads creative writing classes, has three poetry collections, ‘Stinging the Silence’, ‘Tangible Shadows’ and ‘Sketching Light’ published by Ginninderra Press. Dawn is the convenor of Ozku haiku group, Moonrise tanka group.‘raking stones’ is their first anthology.

Poets chose one of their own tanka previously published in Eucalypt to read and again it was a delight to hear favourite poems read in the poets’ voices.

People travelled considerable differences to attend the launch, including from Geelong and Bathurst.