Author: Lynette Arden

Launch of Wind through the Wheatfields: held 3 February 2013

The writer-friendly Hughenden Hotel at Woollahra was the venue on February 3rd, for the launch by David Terelinck of Wind through the Wheatfields: Tanka by Beverley George writing with Friends.

This is a book of response tanka, gently gathered over years, and featuring the poetry of Andre Surridge, David Terelinck, Dy Andreasen, Giselle Maya, Janice M Bostok, Julie Thorndyke, Kathy Kituai, Kirsty Karkow, Maria Steyn, Meredith Ferris, M L Grace and Owen Bullock. Illustrations are by Pim Sarti.

The event was attended by 60 people and included the launch by Dawn Bruce of Beverley’s tanka chapbook, This Pinging Hail, with cover illustrations by Tumi K Steyn.

Red Dragonflies Autumn Meeting

The Red Dragonflies (minus their leader, Vanessa Proctor, regrettably) met on Saturday 23rd February at Cynthia Rowe’s home in Woollahra. Vanessa had preset members three interesting topics for their prepared haiku ― namely ‘books’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘natural disasters’.

These topics had produced a refreshingly novel collection of haiku. After lunch, the haiku bowl from which each member’s two additional (and anonymous) haiku were drawn and discussed produced their usual share of mirth. Given that, in Japanese, ‘hai’ means ‘amusement’ and ‘ku’ means ‘verse’, the blend of seriousness and levity that is always part of the Red Dragonflies’ meetings is obviously highly appropriate.

Lesley Walter

Cloudcatchers’ Ginko No. 28 (summer)

Due to the weather, it was off again/on again for the Cloudcatchers’ summer ginko, which was finally held at the Skateboard Park in Ballina on Thursday 14 February. And, yes, St Valentine’s Day did appear in some of the haiku.

In spite of the location we made no attempt to skateboard, but wandered around the area where North Creek enters the Richmond River, just before the river empties into the sea.

The predicted ‘occasional showers’ were off again/on again but interfered little with the absorbing of images in this delightful venue by eleven of us. Birds and breaking waves featured, of course, with casuarinas, fishermen, a beach shanty built of storm debris, driftwood, a spider lily and a bobbing buoy.

The autumn ginko is scheduled for Thursday 9 May 2013 – to be confirmed.

Quendryth Young

Bowerbird Tanka Workshop #9 2013: Report

On Saturday 16th February 2013 Beverley George convened the ninth Bowerbird Tanka Workshop at Pearl Beach. Once more Beverley’s generosity was greatly appreciated by the 20 attendees as she opened her home to us for the day. With the speakers presenting in front of picture windows facing onto the lagoon, the venue was in perfect harmony with the program. Continue reading “Bowerbird Tanka Workshop #9 2013: Report”

Burnside Library Readings

Mariko Kitakubo and Beverley George Tanka performance

International Japanese Poet
Mariko Kitakubo
&
Beverley George
presenting Japan’s oldest and most popular form of poetry

Tanka
Plus haiku and tanka read by the Bindii Japanese Genre Poetry Group
and
Japanese Flute Music performed by Munetaka Umehara

Sunday 24 March, 2.30 pm
Burnside Library (Adelaide SA)
Bookings for this free event can be made
by phone on 8366 4280

Windfall Issue 1: Out Now!

Issue 1 of Windfall is now out. Published by Peter Macrow’s Blue Giraffe Press, edited by Beverley George and with cover design by Ron Moss, Windfall is the new annual journal of Australian Haiku.

Windfall publishes haiku which are relevant to the experience of urban and rural life in Australia. For this first issue, Beverley has selected a wonderful collection of haiku observations that celebrate the Australian landform, seasons and our unique flora and fauna.

$10 provides one issue per year for two years to Australian subscribers. Email Peter for further details including overseas subscriptions:

bluegiraffepress@hotmail.com

The annual submission window for Windfall is July only. Submission guidelines are also available from Peter at the email address shown above.