The British Haiku Society is running a Tanka competition, the aim of which is to produce an anthology of the best of the entries along with first, second and third prize.
The judges are Ron Woollard and Beverley George. Entries are open (postal or e-mail) until 31st October 2014. Full details of the competition are available on the British Haiku Society website:
http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2014/05/2014-tanka-anthology-competition/
Over the summer holidays I read two informative, inspirational and professional books on haiku that featured the work of a wide range of influential poets from Britain, America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Haiku in English - The First Hundred Years, edited by Jim Kacian, Philip Rowland, and Allan Burns with an Introduction by Billy Collins. First edition printed in the USA, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110 and Where the River Goes - The Nature Tradition in English-Language Haiku
edited by Allan Burns. First edition published by Snapshot Press, Orchard House, High Lane, Ormskirk L40 7sl in great Britain in 2013.
I read both books unhurriedly; there was so much to reflect upon, including the essays and commentaries as well as the haiku. For future reference and encouragement for my own writing, I put a post-it sticker on the pages that were important and the haiku that appealed to me. Both books deserve to be dipped into many times.
Haiku in English – The First Hundred Years ‘seeks to identify the achievements of the individual poet within a nurturing context unlike any other in the world of literature and to show the variations of the haiku form over the years.
Billy Collins also shares his views on the elements of the modern haiku; the ‘Aha’ moment, juxtaposition, surprise, presenting the world just as it is, the palpable absent, parody and irony, and the presence of the witness.
To complete the volume, Jim Kacian’s thought provoking essay An Overview of Haiku in English discusses the origin and history of haiku, including the importance of the ‘haiku anthology,’ the globalization of haiku, and some ideas about haiku in the next hundred years.
Where the River Goes- the Nature Tradition in English-Language Haiku complements the historical account of Haiku in English, but pays attention to the nature tradition, ‘informed by the meaning of ‘Nature’ from both Eastern and Western perspectives.’ The anthology of ‘forty essential voices’ identifies the key themes, subjects, techniques, ideologies and developments. Nature haiku is significant because it encourages connections between humans and the natural world essential to the meaningful survival of the species.
Both books conclude with a challenge for haiku: that of finding the right balance between remaining true to its roots and accommodating contemporary life so as to remain vital.
Janet Howie
Submissions are now open for paper wasp’s September/Spring issue for senyru and/or humorous, droll, witty and amusing haiku, encouraging poets to again try something different. December/Summer will be devoted to haiku with an Australian flavour/theme – for which overseas contributions are very welcome.
Deadlines are Aug 1 for Senryu (Spring) and Nov 1 for Australian haiku (Summer).
.paper wasp has been marking this year, celebrating its 20th birthday, with special issues which have been receiving some much appreciated compliments from Australia and overseas. It seems haiku poets have appreciated the opportunity to spread their wings, try new forms and/or find an outlet for personal expansion and/or experimentation. paper wasp will return to its usual format in 2015 and will be accepting broad-spectrum submissions from Nov 15, 2014.
Email: [email protected]
Postal: paper wasp, 14 Fig Tree Pocket Rd, Chapel Hill, Qld 4069, Australia
The Bindii Group met at the Box Factory: 59 Regent St South, Adelaide for our June meeting.
Karin Anderson presented a very well researched workshop on senryu, haiku and also touched on kyoka.
Kyoka stands in the same relation to tanka as senryu to haiku. We looked at examples of the forms and definitions and tried to work out which example fitted into which category, not always an easy task.
This was followed by general workshop of members’ work.
Lynette Arden
http://haiku-bindii.blogspot.com.au/
Windfall: Australian Haiku is a small annual print publication which seeks to publish fine examples of contemporary Australian haiku. Submissions are welcome in July each year.
Editor: Beverley George.
Founder and Manager: Peter Macrow.
Published by Blue Giraffe Press. ISSN 1839-5449. Hobart, Blue Giraffe Press issue 1, 2012-
Designed and printed for Blue Giraffe Press by Picaro Press.
Guidelines for submissions:
1. Please head all submissions with your name, postal address and the date of submission, together with a statement that your submitted haiku are, “original, unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere”.
2. In order to extend the publishing opportunities for haiku poets in this country, and as Windfall will showcase only 50-60 selected haiku per issue, contribution is restricted to Australian poets, resident in Australia.
3. Submission period is June 30th – July 31st each year.
4. You may submit up to ten of your best haiku per issue but a maximum of 2-3 poems by an individual poet will be selected for any given issue.
5. Acceptances will be advised by August 31st after which date you are free to send any unaccepted poems elsewhere.
6. We are seeking haiku which are relevant to the experience of urban and rural life in Australia. Observations that celebrate landform, seasons, and our unique flora and fauna, are welcomed.
7. Please submit your unpublished haiku to Beverley George PO Box 37 Pearl Beach 2256 or email to [email protected] with ‘Windfall’ and your surname in the subject line.
Windfall Subscriptions:
Subscriptions Manager is Peter Macrow
$10 for two issues, one per year for two years, including postage within Australia. Stamps or cash are also welcome. Cheques must be made out to Peter Macrow
Overseas subscriptions are $15 in Australian cash only.
Copies to non-subscribers or non-contributors are $10 for the first copy and $5 each for further copy. Overseas $15.
Contact details:
Peter Macrow
Manager, Blue Giraffe Press
6/16 Osborne Street
Sandy Bay TAS 7005
or email: [email protected]
Enquiries:
Apart from haiku submissions, all enquiries and other business should be directed to Peter Macrow, email as above.
The eleventh issue of A Hundred Gourds, a quarterly journal of haiku, haibun, haiga, tanka and renku poetry is now online for your reading pleasure.
http://www.ahundredgourds.com/
As well as our regular Haiku, Tanka, Renku, Haiga, Haibun and Expositions sections, AHG 3.3 features:
Issa’s Humanity and Humour: A Haibun Passage from His Travel Journal Oraga Haru
Everyone loves Issa’s haiku for their immediacy and evidence of his seemingly simple humanity, yet we don’t always pause long enough to study the context that might expand our appreciation. Ray Rasmussen, one of the four founders of A Hundred Gourds, returns as guest author of this issue’s feature, an in-depth study of one of Issa’s haibun passages. Ray demonstrates that the time taken to read and reflect more thoroughly brings great rewards.
Submisssions Deadline
The deadline for all submissions to AHG 3.4 (the September 2014 issue) is June 15th. AHG has an open submissions policy: any submissions received after the deadline will be filed for consideration for the December 2014 issue. Please check our submissions page for details and editors’ guidelines.
Lorin Ford – Haiku Editor, Managing Editor,
for the Editorial Team, A Hundred Gourds
The following items were posted on the HaikuOz website during May and can be accessed at www.haikuoz.org
Red Kelpie Haiku Group Ginko & Meeting #1
Canterbury Writers Group: Call for submissions