Month: July 2009

Tanka workshop at Murrurrundi

In June I was invited to give a tanka workshop for Warrah Writers at Murrurrundi.

Murrurrundi is a delightful country town with fascinating rock formations nearby. The meeting place for the Warrah Writersis a room at the railway station which looked bleak when we entered but was soon made cosy and appealing by enterprising members. Two rugs were laid on the floor and four matching blue cloths on each long table. Two antique lamps were placed on the tables and a fire was expertly laid in the fireplace. In no time it was blazing and warmed the room effectively for the two and a half hours the workshop lasted. One slight interruption occurred when an 80 truck coal train passed by only feet away.

A stage two workshop for Warrah Writers is being planned for next year and also an address to a reading group called Scrolls, based near Quirindi . Scrolls was established over forty years ago and has over thirty active members.

Beverley George

Tea and Haiku in Hobart

Saturday the 18th July, 3pm-6pm.

Tea and Haiku at Chado The Way of Tea 134 Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
Enjoy an afternoon of Haiku poetry with a tea theme by Lyn Reeves, Ron Moss, Jenny Barnard, Annaxue Yang, Robyn Mathison, Jill Cartwright, Lorraine Haig and Ross Coward. Anne Collins will read excerpts from the book Baisao The Old Tea Seller by Norman Waddell. The cost is $15 per person which includes tea and a specialty sweet. Please note the reading will take place in the first floor room of the teahouse which is accessible only by stairs. Bookings essential. Ring Chado on 62316411.

Cloudcatchers’ Winter Ginko No.14 June 2009

The forecast of ‘Fine – high cloud” was quite correct for the fourteenth ginko of the Cloudcatchers on the Far North Coast of NSW on Thursday 25 June. The venue of Shaw’s Bay at Ballina presented a grey day, with a dirty sea full of yellow foam and post-storm debris which contrasted with all previous seaside ginko. But the trawlers were still going out, and along came a pod of dolphins to break our concentration, lighten our hearts and enter our writing. Many fine first drafts were produced, and the best of these are currently being discussed in an email Round Robin among the participants. We welcomed one new enthusiast, and invite any haiku poet who is in the area to join us for our Spring ginko in October. Contact Quendryth Young at quendrythyoung@bigpond.com.

Quendryth Young
Cloudcatchers Coordinator