Nick O'Connor

Haiku Northwest’s 23rd annual Porad Award

Haiku Northwest’s 23rd annual Porad Award opens for haiku submissions on July 14.

The contest is named for Francine Porad, founder of Haiku Northwest, former president of the Haiku Society of America, and editor of Brussels Sprout.

Adjudicating the 2026 award will be Antoinette Cheung, former co-editor of Prune Juice and the journal Confluence. Her work has appeared in journals and anthologies including New Resonance 14 and The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku, and in 2023 she was shortlisted for The Haiku Foundation’s Touchstone Award. She has also received honours including Haiku Canada’s Betty Drevniok Award, the Basho-an Award, and top recognition in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival haiku competition.

The entry fee is $5 for up to five haiku, and the deadline is August 30th. See the Haiku Northwest 2026 Porad Award site for more details. We look forward to your submissions.

Luke Brannon
2026 Porad Award Coordinator
Haiku Northwest

Manna Magazine launching in December

Didier Lejeune (Gold Coast) is beginning a new literary and art magazine and is currently looking for artists and haiku poets to populate the first issue.

Last year I developed a strong appreciation for Haiku while living in a cottage in the alps, having an entire shelf full of zen poetry and haiku to occupy my time. The artform has come to mean a lot to me, and it is important that I give it ample space in the magazine.
The publication is print-only, black and white, with a focus on beauty—however this concept manifests in the mind of the artist.
I am looking for poets to contribute to this first issue, and all that will follow.

Our website is: manna magazine
Each issue will publish a handful of Haiku from one, or several, artists. Each poet is encouraged to submit 6-15 haiku.

I look forward to hearing from you,
Didier Lejeune

Stay Cool’s Griffith exhibition now closing 24th July 2026

A new exhibition in Griffith Regional Theatre’s Artspace explores creativity as it moves between mediums and around the world. Some of you will remember Stay Cool’s series of workshops on haiku in January/February this year, featuring Jason Richardson, Lisa Germany, Marco Sebastiano Alessi, Greg Pritchard and Sherry and Zoe Grant. The Stay Cool project has evolved from writing workshops into contemporary music composition and is illustrated with stellar photography.

Edition 6 of Catchment – Poetry of Place is live online

Catchment 6 is now online. Work from over 80 contributors, including more than 40 poets who have had tanka selected, either as stand-alone pieces or as tanka strings. Also, a discussion of the work of Kala Ramesh.

Conclusion of Illawong Haiku Group

The Illawong Haiku Group began as an aspiration 9 years ago to establish a haiku group in the southern area of Sydney. I have been Group Convenor since the beginning until now. We had an open door policy and some people came and went while others stayed. I am grateful to those who stayed. Since our last meeting I expressed my wish to relinquish my position due to changing circumstances. Following further consultation with members it was decided to disband and continue to enjoy our mutual love of haiku in a different way.

Mann Library’s Daily Haiku featured author for June: Simon Hanson

The Mann Library of Cornell University in the US is featuring one of Simon’s haiku on their Daily Haiku website each day for the month of June.

Paperbark Haiku Group Report – Autumn 2026

The Paperbark Autumn ginko was held on Wednesday 13^th May at the Perth City Farm, a half hectare site devoted to providing information and education to the people of Perth about the protection and regeneration of the natural environment.

Established on a former industrial site in East Perth, this once polluted site has been rehabilitated by volunteers, and is now a welcoming oasis in the busy city.

Members’ News June 2026

Welcome to the third issue of Australian Haiku Society Members’ News for 2026. In this edition Leanne reflects on dogs and other animals as subjects of haiku, there are links to a review of The Routledge Global Haiku Reader and to the latest Fringe Myrtles Report in which Rob Scott discusses Grant Caldwell’s presentation of fueki ryūko.