Committee

Rob Scott began his haiku journey while living in Tokyo in the mid-90’s where he became a member of the MIFA haiku circle. After writing haiku for almost 20 years, he released his first two collections, Out of Nowhere and Down to the Wire, both published by Red Moon Press (2016). In 2014, Rob completed his Master’s thesis entitled The History of Australian Haiku and the Emergence of a Local Accent, presenting a paper on his findings at the Second International Haiku Conference (2015) in Krakow, entitled Australian Haiku—Is it a Thing? He currently lives in Melbourne and has recently become a co-convener of the Fringe Myrtles haiku group

Lyn Reeves was involved in the beginnings of HaikuOz and has served as Secretary, Vice-President and committee member. She was haiku editor for Famous Reporter (1994- 2012), occasional editor for paper wasp, and founder and convener of Watersmeet haiku group. Her first haiku collection, Walking the Tideline, appeared in 2001.

Leanne Mumford is an Australian writer and photographer, who enjoys practising her crafts wherever she goes. Since 2012 her haiku, haiga and haibun have appeared in various Australian and international journals and anthologies. Her haiku ‘wind song’ won a Touchstone Award for Individual Poems 2019. Leanne is a founding member and a moderator of Inkstone Poetry Forum, and she contributes periodically to the Meguro International Haiku Circle. Leanne is currently co-organising Haiku Down Under 2022. Her personal website is lemumford.id.au

Clem lives on Wurundjeri Land with his wife and two children. He works as a nurse, enjoys walking his pet cavoodle, Barney, reading, and writing haiku.

Lynette Arden convened the Bindii Japanese Genre Poetry Group from 2009 to 2019 and was Vice President of AHS from 2012 to 2017. She has travelled to Japan on two literary tours following the trail of Matsuo Basho. Her latest poetry collection is Travelling Through the Unexpected (Ginninderra Press) 2018. Her first poetry collection A Pause in the Conversation was published in New Poets 15 (Wakefield Press 2010). Her Poetry and Art website: http://www.lynettearden.com/

Rose van Son writes in all genres.  Her first love is poetry, particularly haiku.  She loves nature, its pleasures and senses, its meditation capabilities. Her collection of mostly bird photographs and poetry appears in  Nature’s Warehouse: Birds in Focus. Her collaboration with two South West artists in WA resulted in an exhibition at the Zig Zag Gallery printmaking and lino-cuts with haiku attached. A collection of the artworks and appeared soon after. Rose turns to haiku and senryu for solace, for enjoying with a cup of tea. Her collection of poems Cloak of Letters was published by Sunline Press 2020.  Rose is a selector for Creatrix Haiku online.

Myron began studying and writing modern haiku towards the end of the twentieth century. He has had one book of haiku published (a rosebush grabs my sleeve Flat Chat Poets 2005) and won an international haiku prize in Japan in 2004—the Suruga Baika Literary Award for Haiku. His haiku have been published in many overseas and Australian haiku journals. Myron was part of RookuTroupe—a trio of haiku poets instrumental in having haiku published on Melbourne’s suburban trains in 2006. Myron conducts ginko in scenic surroundings in Victoria.

Vanessa Proctor began writing haiku while living in Japan in the early ’90s. She was a founding member of HaikuOz, she founded the Red Dragonflies haiku group and co-founded the Zazen international haiku group. Her latest publication is the eChapbook Jacaranda Baby (Snapshot Press, 2012).

Jan Dobb has lived in Canberra for over forty years and has always enjoyed dabbling in words and writing.  In 2010 she encountered haiku and since then has become hooked.  Rambles in the Bush Capital, among the kangaroos and gumtrees with views of the Brindabella range, are an ever-inspiring part of her life and writing.  Meeting up with some local haiku/tanka enthusiasts has been the icing-on-the-cake of belonging to an exciting worldwide community.

Julia Wakefield has been writing haiku since she joined the Bindii group seven years ago. She is a published poet in other genres as well as haiku, and is also a visual artist, specialising in printmaking and illustration.  Some of her haiku can be found on the Bindii blogspot:  https://haiku-bindii.blogspot.com/p/julia-wakefield.html She enjoys attempting other Japanese forms, but she finds the haiku a sufficient challenge in itself. She runs workshops for newcomers to the form. Website: http://www.juliawakefield.com.au/