President’s Message
Spring has arrived in Sydney, with cherry blossoms on full display last month at Auburn Botanical Gardens, where a small group of poets from all over the city gathered to read beside a shady billabong.

Spring has arrived in Sydney, with cherry blossoms on full display last month at Auburn Botanical Gardens, where a small group of poets from all over the city gathered to read beside a shady billabong.

Haiku as a practice thrives on solitude. Time alone – going on a ginkō or doing a mundane task such as peeling vegetables, washing dishes or pulling weeds – allows us to pay attention to bodily sensations and our mind’s wanderings. Such solitary experiences often provide substance for our poems.
Continue reading “July 2024 News”It was great to see so many opportunities for poets to connect with each other and the wider community in the last month as International Haiku Poetry Day was marked in various ways around 17th April. In the Haiku Groups’ Zoom meeting hosted by AHS, thirty poems were read, one each composed by poets from five groups based in different parts of the country: Fringe Myrtles (Melbourne), Paperbark Haiku (Perth), Bindii Japanese Genre Poetry Group (Adelaide & online), Cloudcatchers (NSW North Coast) and Illawong Haiku Group (Sydney). Thanks to all the poets who contributed to the success of the gathering.
Continue reading “May 2024 News”Haiku’s origins are social. The ‘hokku’ provided the starting point of collaborative linked poetry known as ‘renga’. While our haiku often arise from moments of solo observation and quiet reflection, writing of haiku also flourishes through interaction with other poets, whether reading or hearing their work, engaging in workshopping by giving and receiving constructive criticism, or discussing poems and techniques. International Haiku Poetry Day on 17th April encourages connection with fellow haiku poets, from simply sharing our enjoyment of the form to allowing ourselves to be challenged to experiment with different approaches. I know that many poets have planned activities to mark the occasion in various ways, whether on the day or close to it.
Continue reading “From the new President”Dear Poets,
It has been an honour to serve as president of the Australian Haiku Society over the past 4 years.
A new six-member executive committee came into effect on 1st April.
Office Bearers:
President: Leanne Mumford
Vice-President: Rob Scott
Secretary: Alison Rogers
Web Manager: Lynette Arden
Committee Members:
Maureen Sexton
Wanda Amos
See the Committee Page for profiles.
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
The call for Expressions of Interest in joining the AHS Committee in various roles is closing soon – on Monday 26th February. This is a great opportunity to help steer the society in the future, so if you are an Australian haiku poet with something to contribute – enthusiasm, time, experience, skills or ideas – please consider volunteering for a role. See the earlier post for more details, and contact the Secretary with any queries via the Contact Secretary form.