24th August, 2026
On a blue sky day, seven haiku poets gathered at the Auburn Botanic Gardens to perform at the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival. Readers were Gabby Higgins, Colleen Keating, Leanne Mumford, Nick O’Connor, Vanessa Proctor, Carol Reynolds and Pauline Trennery. The Australian Haiku Society has been reading at the festival since 2018.
This year, for the first time, we performed on the Sakura Stage in a central position at the festival. Vanessa acted as the MC. Leanne, our current President, spoke about the AHS, while supporters in the audience handed out AHS haiku fliers that Leanne designed. Vanessa then gave a talk on What is Haiku? This was followed by each performer reading a selection of haiku both classical and modern. Each spoke about why they are drawn to haiku.
Nick O’Connor, Secretary of the AHS, announced the winners of the first AHS haiku contest in association with the festival on the theme of ‘spring flowers’. Our hour on stage passed quickly. With people of all ages stopping to listen to us, it was a most enjoyable day. We ended the event with group photos.
Although we were a little early for the peak of the cherry blossom this year, the sakura was just beginning to bloom and we did get to enjoy some flowers. We each left feeling inspired.
spring breeze
through the blossom
our step a little lighter 1
Vanessa Proctor
1 First published: “Sakura Fubuki”: Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association, Islamabad, 2026
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