Category: Tanka in Australia

New South Wales tanka programme with Mariko: March 2013

In March 2013, Tokyo poet, Mariko Kitakubo, will revisit Australia, performing her tanka poetry bilingually with Beverley George, editor of the journal Eucalypt and President of the Australian Haiku Society 2006-10.

Tanka, meaning short songs, is a 1300 year old poetic genre from Japan, relevant to the way we think and feel today. Mariko and Beverley have performed together in Tokyo, Sydney, Canberra, and Tamworth and on the Central Coast. In late March they will perform at two venues in Adelaide.

Below are details of three events to be held in New South Wales this month.

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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.

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”

Limestone Tanka Poets: 18 March meeting

Who would’ve thought that two hours would be enough time in which to enjoy a presentation of Moon Forest Armada Tanka Group’, as well as a talk on How-a-Poet-Works and have time in which to workshop new tanka. Limestone Tanka Poets did all three in our March meeting and what was achieved was pleasing if the contentment on everyone’s faces at the end were anything to go on

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Update on Australian Tanka Groups: November, 2011

There is an increasing number of very active Tanka Groups around Australia. The following summary of their activities was recently provided to the Bowerbird Group.

The Tanka Groups:
Bowerbird Tanka Group (Pearl Beach, NSW)
Breathstream Tanka Poets (Geelong, Victoria)
Bottlebrush Tanka Group (North Sydney, NSW)
Tanka Huddle (North Rocks, Sydney, NSW)
Moonrise, a group within a group (St Leonards, NSW)
The Bindii Japanese Genre Poetry Group (Adelaide, SA)
Limestone Tanka Poets (Canberra, ACT)

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