Dear AHS members,
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year, filled with the joy of writing haiku. 2020 has been a difficult year which has brought many challenges and much sadness. As I’m sure all of you would agree, reading and writing haiku has provided much needed sustenance in a year full of anxiety and grief. Moreover, the opportunity to reach out to the broader haiku community across Australia and beyond via Zoom was a particular and unexpected pleasure. I sincerely hope this vibrant and communal spirit continues into this year.
It has been a productive year for the AHS as we celebrated our 20th year, and we have more exciting plans for the year ahead, including the announcement of the winner of the inaugural John Bird Dreaming Award for Haiku.
Thank you all for you valuable support for my first year as President and I look forward to continued support and more of your wonderful haiku in 2021.
Happy New Year!
Rob Scott
Haiga Kukai
The AHS Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai has concluded with an excellent response from participants. Contributions are now being considered by the adjudicator Ron Moss. You can revisit the entries here for both the Seasonal and Non-seasonal categories.
Groups and Gatherings
To read the latest reports from some of our regional groups click on the links below.
The John Bird Haiku Dreaming Award
Submissions remain open until March 1st 2021. Guidelines and further details can be found here.
Congratulations
To Marietta McGregor for 1st prize in the Irish Haiku Society Contest, 2020 with:
bracket fungus
a fallen beech softens
into its future
Marietta McGregor
To Simon Hanson for equal 3rd prize with:
the dark pool
the blue of glowworms
above and below
Simon Hanson
3rd prize shared with Debbie Strange (Canada) with:
storm hour
the cliff’s face carved
a little deeper
Debbie Strange
And to Greg Piko for an Honourable mention with:
a duck
looks at the moon
floating egg
Greg Piko
All selections for the IHS contest here
Congratulations also to Cynthia Rowe being listed as a Prize Winner by Toshio Kimura in the 22nd HIA Haiku Contest 2020 with:
our window-box
a honeybee meanders
among my desires
Cynthia Rowe
All haiku selected in this award can be found here
To Gregory Piko for a Commendation in the 10th Polish International Haiku Competition with:
morning fog
the warmth of her horse’s
breath
Gregory Piko
All selections and judge’s comments can be accessed here
And congratulations again to Marietta McGregor for a Highly Commended in the Fifth Annual Memorial Jane Reichhold Haiga Contest
All selections at this link
Haiku Connects Us
An impressive collection of international post card images with accompanying haiku sent in by poets from around the world and assembled by Krzystof Kokot are beautifully displayed on the web here (hover over the postcard to read haiku).
January Break
Our hard working committee will have a break from AHS business over January 2021, so if people could defer their enquires until February that will be much appreciated. Members’ News for January will be carried over into the February Members’ News. Submissions for the John Bird Haiku Dreaming Award will remain open of course and we also hope to announce the results for the AHS Summer Solstice Haiga Kukai if time permits—a good thing it is a labour of love…
“Creativity takes courage.”
Henri Matisse
Announcing a New Journal – Tandem
A new US based journal welcoming international submissions devoted to rengay – Tandem, begins accepting submissions from January 1st. Details below:
Tandem: The Rengay Journal
A new journal devoted solely to rengay is being launched in this new year, 2021. Tandem: The Rengay Journal will be accepting submissions during the month of January for its inaugural issue that will come out in April. See the guidelines below for all the details, including contact information.
Tandem Submission Guidelines
Please read guidelines thoroughly prior to submitting.
Submission Windows
Spring issue: January 1 – 31 (comes out in April) Autumn issue: July 1 – 31 (comes out in October)
Submissions
Submissions must be in-hand by the end of the submission period. Submissions received outside the submission periods will not be considered.
Only one submission per submission period. A submission consists of up to 5 rengay per person. Rengay must be previously unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere. ‘Previously published’ includes print and online journals, as well as public social media, such as blogs, etc.
Tandem is a collaborative rengay-only journal. Please do not send other forms, including responsive tanka or other sequences.
Although longer versions of rengay exist, we are accepting only 6-verse rengay. Rengay may have 2, 3, or 6 authors, in the following formats:
2 authors (A & B): A-3 | B-2 | A-3 | B-3 | A-2 | B-3
3 authors (A, B, & C): A-3 | B-2 | C-3 | A-2 | B-3 | C-2
6 authors (A,B,C,D,E,&F): choose either format for 2 or 3 authors. A-3|B-2|C-3|D-3|E-2|F-3 or A-3|B-2|C-3|D-2| E-3 | F-2
Indicate the author of each verse by placing initials next to each (these will be removed in final print form).
Submissions may be made by email or postal mail (addresses below). Postal submissions must include an email address or a phone number.
Email submissions—Put “TANDEM SUBMISSION” in the Subject line to make sure it isn’t accidentally overlooked. Please include rengay in the body of the email. NO attachments. Note any special formatting in your email text.
Include the full names of all the authors as they wish them to appear in the journal, as well as the location of each author (City, State/Province, Country).
Also include a short bio for each author (maximum of 50 words each). Each bio should include one fun fact about the author. [We prefer bios that aren’t lists of publications.]
Send to Marcyn Del Clements — tandem.mclements(at)gmail(dot)com
Postal Submissions—Send to: Marcyn Del Clements, 412 Furman Drive, Claremont, CA 91711-1602 United States Receipt of submissions will be confirmed by email within two weeks of receipt. If you do not receive this confirmation, please email Marcyn.
Selection
Submissions will be read and considered by the entire editorial staff. Rengay will be accepted when at least two of the editors have chosen the poem for inclusion.
Selections will be made within 2 months of the end of the submission periods.
Poets will be notified as to whether or not their poems will be included. Acceptance notices will also include the poem, to confirm spelling and formatting.
Each issue will feature an “Editors’ Pick”: a favorite rengay from the previous issue.
If you have any questions regarding submissions, contact either Ignatius Fay (tandem.ifay(at)gmail(dot)com) or Seren Fargo (tandemrengay.seren(at)gmail(dot)com)
Australian Haiku Society 