Australian Haiku Society

Submissions open for Catchment – Poetry of Place: second edition

The submission period for the second edition of Catchment – Poetry of Place will span from 21 March till 21 May 2024.

Poets resident in Australia are again most welcome to submit work showing a sense of location, either in tanka or longer forms, or both.

Sydney Launch of ‘under the same moon: Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology’

Sunday 14th April 2.30 – 4.30pm. Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, Kirribilli

We are delighted to invite you to begin the week of celebrations for International Haiku Day by coming to the Sydney launch of under the same moon on Sunday 14^th April at 2.30pm. The launch will take place in the Gallery, a heritage room with views across Sydney Harbour. Refreshments will be provided.

Please RVSP using this linked form.

Accolades for Australian haiku poets & other news

March 2024

Thanks to everyone who contacted AHS to let us know the good news about various poets in our community. Please keep sending in news items for sharing.
In this issue:
* competition wins and other awards and recognition
* International Haiku Poetry Day
* Haiku Down Under 2024 update

Haiku in Hobart

Hobart is experiencing a wave of haiku events just now, beginning with the launch of Under the Same Moon: Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology at Fuller’s Bookshop on 16^th February. The launch was held as part of the bookshop’s 104^th Anniversary. There are ten Tasmanian contributors to the anthology. Those poets who were present, Ross Coward, Lorraine Haig, Simon Hanson, Leanne Jaeger, Irene McGuire, Peter Macrow, Ron C. Moss and Lyn Reeves, read their work. Lyn, who emceed, read the haiku of those who couldn’t attend the event, (Jane Williams, Judith EP Johnson and Nathan Sydney). The inimitable Michael Fortescue, former double bass player of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and improviser par excellence collaborated with the readings with delightful musical interpretations of the words. It was a night of great enjoyment for all.

Illawong Haiku Group Autumn Meeting

5th March 2024

Three of our group gathered on a pleasant early Autumn day at Prince Edward Park on the banks of the Woronora River – Margaret Mahony, Rita Potente and Carol Reynolds. Naturally we were disappointed that our other regular members couldn’t attend for various reasons. However, we were delighted to welcome Camille Mock for the first time. Camille’s interest in haiku was ignited by a workshop that Margaret Mahony and I presented last year at the Discovery Writers Group in Hurstville. We hope she will become a permanent member.

White Pebbles Haiku Group Autumn Meeting 2024

A warm, calm morning greeted the gathering of our White Pebbles haiku poets for our autumn ginko on Saturday 9th March 2024. It was an Indian Summer day. The heady air of gardenias was coloured by a shimmer of dragonflies fussing over the lotus pond with its rush of cascading water. Added to this was chatter and laughter of children. Ducks and koi roiled with enthusiasm as many little fingers dropped pellets of food into the pond from the viewing platform.

Report on the Bindii Meeting 24 February 2024

We had a Google Meet meeting for the first time. Steve Wigg, Julia Wakefield, Stella Damarjati, Maeve Archibald, Subha Goonaratne, Maureen Sexton and Lynette Arden were joined by three new members: Kirsten Johnson, Jake Dennis and Ewan Rourke. Jake lives in WA as does Maureen, and Subha is based in Sydney, so Google Meet is a very handy way of bringing our group together. We all agreed it works just as well as Zoom.

White Pebbles Haiku Group Summer Meeting 2024

Due to unforeseen circumstances, with weather threatening safe travel, the White Pebbles summer meeting scheduled for December 9th was deferred to January 13th.