Translator, editor and poet Amelia Fielden facilitated two significant poetry events in Canberra on Friday, October 14, and Saturday, October 15. Held at Manning Clark House, the first was an engaging launch of two poetry books in Japanese-derived verse forms, “Colouring In” (featuring tanka exchanges by Amelia herself, as well as by Gerry Jacobson, each working in collaboration with American poets); and “Poems To Wear”, a collection largely comprised by tanka – but with numerous haiku also included – exploring the theme of clothing/ apparel. The second event – held at the Australian National University – was an Australia/ Japan Tanka Workshop, where the first of two discussion sessions was led by Amelia Fielden, supported by Japanese poetry expert Noriko Tanaka and Dr. Carol Hayes (from ANU’s Japan Institute). Giving feedback on tanka strings/ sequences offered anonymously in advance, the afternoon session – likewise rewarding – was co-ordinated by Kathy Kituai, facilitator of the Limestone Poets Group.
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Author: Rodney Williams
Competition successes in September
Competition-based successes enjoyed by Australian haiku poets during the month of September, 2016, included:
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Contest, Canada (International section): Winner (First Prize) – Jan Dobb; Honourable Mentions – Vanessa Proctor & Tanvi Velankar;
European Quarterly Kukai #15, Autumn 2016 Edition (topic: sounds): Second Place – Cynthia Rowe;
Ivanić Grad 12th Pumpkin Festival International Haiku Competition (Croatia): Second Prize – Samantha Sirimanne Hyde; Honourable Mentions – Lorin Ford, Scott Thouard & Quendryth Young;
Living Haiku Anthology Haiku Competition: Honourable Mention – Lorin Ford.
Entries open – 18th HIA Haiku Contest
Entries are welcomed for the Haiku International Association’s 18th Haiku Contest. Entry is free. Up to four (4) haiku may be offered. The deadline is 26 September, 2016 (with results to be announced on 4 December, 2016). Further information – including an online entry form – is available through this link: www.haiku-hia.com/contest_en/form.html
Quendryth Young: Winner – 2016 NZPS Haiku Competition
Link: http://www.poetrysociety.org.nz/2016competitionresults
Opening of Judge’s Report by Cynthia Rowe
“I was delighted to be asked to judge the Haiku section of the 2016 NZPS International Poetry Competition. A challenging but rewarding task. From 602 entries, over two-thirds were rejected as unpublishable, lacking a basic knowledge of haiku, and therefore unable to be considered. A number of poems failed to make the shortlist due to shortcomings which included an overreliance on adjectives and adverbs, anthropomorphism, ‘lists’, double entendre, aphorisms, rhetorical questions, too many syllables, jokes, jingles, and hackneyed descriptions which led to prosaic imagery.”
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tinywords submissions close August 31
Submissions for tinywords will close on August 31 (with contributions needing to be received in the United States by 6.00 p.m. Pacific time on that date). Preferably unpublished, up to five haiku, tanka or other small poems can be offered. Using the form supplied online, interested poets will need to have created their own account in order to submit, if they do not have one already. Further details can be accessed through: http://tinywords.com/submit/ – enquiries can be made through: editors@tinywords.com.
Jane Reichhold (1937-2016)
Many Australian haiku and tanka poets will be deeply saddened to read of the death of Jane Reichhold, an inspirational and generous scholar, translator, writer and publisher of all Japanese short forms. Jane’s death was reported on AHA, the haiku and other forms forum she founded in 2006. The announcement was made there on August 5th, though it appears she may have died a week ago. Her contribution in this field has been enormous and she will be very greatly missed. There are many Australian haiku and tanka writers whose work she has prompted, encouraged and informed.
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Two tanka events in Canberra in October
Australian poet/ translator/ editor Amelia Fielden is helping to organise two tanka-related events in Canberra across the one weekend in the middle of October. The first will be a launch of the Australian/ Japanese anthology Poems to Wear, to be held at Manning Clark House in Forrest between 7-9 p.m. on Friday, 14 October. The second will be a Tanka Seminar, to be conducted at the Australian National University between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, 15 October. Any enquiries should please be emailed to Amelia Fielden: anafielden@gmail.com
Entries open Katikati Haiku Contest (NZ)
Entries are welcome for the Katikati Haiku Contest. Submissions must be sent in hard copy, by post, to arrive in hand by October 31. Entries of three (3) haiku cost $5USD each. Poets need to mail two (2) copies of each entry, with only one copy including the entrant’s name and contact details. Address: Katikati Haiku Contest, PO Box 183, Katikati 3166, New Zealand. Payment may be made via PayPal. For full details, please access this website: https://breathhaiku.wordpress.com/2016/08/02/kaitkait-haiku-contest-2/
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Australian Haiku Society 