For our final meeting of the year, the Fringe Myrtles were treated to an illuminating presentation on tanka, the classical Japanese poetic form that has endured for over a millennium. Our presenter, Rodney Williams, is the contributing editor at Catchment – Poetry of Place, part of the Baw Baw Arts Alliance in Kurnai country, Gippsland, Victoria.
Continue reading “Report on the Fringe Myrtles Meeting October, 2025”
The Fringe Myrtles devoted our most recent meeting to a discussion about the haiku of Santōka Taneda, regarded as one of the leading figures of free-form haiku in Japan during the early 20th century. Our meeting was held in a hybrid fashion (with mixed success) some of the group meeting face-to-face at the Athenaeum Theatre and others joining online.
Continue reading “Report on the Fringe Myrtles Meeting July, 2025”
For our most recent meeting, the group held a ginko in the beautiful Treasury Gardens on the fringe of the Melbourne CBD. In attendance were Myron Lysenko, Rodney Williams, Louise Hopewell, Anna Fern, Maurice McNamara, Grant Caldwell, Tom Landgraf and Rob Scott. We also had virtual participation by Diana Cousens and Marisa Fazio.
Continue reading “Report on the Fringe Myrtles Meeting May, 2025”
International Haiku Day is celebrated worldwide on April 17 each year. Local poet, Myron Lysenko, Victoria’s Regional Representative for the Australian Haiku Society, has organised haiku activities in Woodend throughout April, including a haiku contest, haiku readings, haiku workshops, pop-up haiku poets, and a haiku picnic. Lysenko is the convenor of the monthly spoken word event Chamber Poets, and is an avid promoter, practitioner and teacher of haiku.
Continue reading “Woodend Haiku Festival – April 2025”The first Fringe Myrtles meeting for 2025 was held on Sunday 16 March. Ten Myrtles braved the torrential rain (following a 33-degree day—classic Melbourne weather!) to gather at our haiku home, the beautiful Athenaeum Theatre Library.
Continue reading “Fringe Myrtles bend the senses: Report on the Fringe Myrtles Meeting March, 2025”
The Fringe Myrtles met on Sunday 20th October at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library. In attendance were Rodney Williams, Robbie Coburn, Takanori Hayakawa, Louise Hopewell, Olivia Ark and Rob Scott.
Continue reading “Report on the Fringe Myrtles Meeting October, 2024”
There was much chuckling, guffawing and general merriment at the first Fringe Myrtles meeting for 2024. The meeting was held on Sunday 17 March at our new home, the beautiful Atheneum Library, Melbourne’s only membership library, which celebrates its 185th birthday this year.
The Fringe Myrtles haiku group were delighted to be invited to feature at the Chamber Poets spoken word event in Woodend on Saturday April 15th. Seven members of the group attended, and three absent members had some of their haiku read out for them.
Continue reading “Fringe Myrtles – International Haiku Day in Woodend”
Australian Haiku Society 