11 Australians in anthology from India  

A Book Note by Beverley George

Eleven Australians have haiku included in a remarkable international anthology from India, entitled:

naad anunaad: An Anthology of Contemporary World Haiku
Editor-in-Chief: Kala Ramesh
Editors: Sanjuktaa Asopa & Shloka Shankar
ISBN- 978-93-85665-33-2 Pune, Vishwakarma Publications, 2016

The project began with Kala Ramesh sending emails to poets around the world whose work she enjoyed, asking them to submit some of their best haiku, with details of where they were first published. Kala’s aim was to publish in India an anthology of international contemporary haiku, at an affordable price for anyone in her own country who wanted to know more about this genre. She also hoped it might be possible to include work from her students.
Continue reading “11 Australians in anthology from India  “

Competition successes in October

Australian haiku poets to enjoy competition-based successes during the month of October, 2016, included: Janet Howie, Barbara A. Taylor, Simon Hanson and Cynthia Rowe.
Between them, Janet and Barbara took out the two Grand Prizes conferred in the Basho Festival Haiku Contest, in Japan: Barbara also gained an Honourable Mention in the 5th Japan – Russia Haiku Contest for 2016 (English section).
Simon Hanson likewise enjoyed multiple successes in the last month – he not only gained an Honourable Mention in the Basho Festival Haiku Contest: his collection – entitled Desert Stones – was also selected for the Snapshot Press eChapbook Awards 2016.
Rounding out competition-based successes for Australian haiku poets in the month of October, Cynthia Rowe’s haiku collection Floating Nest was awarded First Prize in the poetry category in The Society of Women Writers (NSW) Book Awards 2016.
Continue reading “Competition successes in October”

Watersmeet Spring Ginko

Saturday 5th November  10.30 am, Cascade Gardens Hobart.

We are a little late with our Spring ginko, but hopefully the winds and the rain will have eased in two weeks’ time when we plan to meet at the bottom end of Cascade Gardens, near the play area. There is a car park at the entrance from MacRobie’s Rd, and a smaller one at the top near the brewery.

We will have a choice of walking up into the gardens, taking side-tracks and/or walking part of the Linear Track along the Rivulet. Afterwards it’s a short walk or drive to Hamlet Coffee Shop where we can share our haiku drafts and discuss the article by Ferris Gill on Seasoning your Haiku; perhaps you’d also like to bring your own ideas for season words. Continue reading “Watersmeet Spring Ginko”

Ginko With Lysenko #29 (End of Spring)

Event: Ginko with Lysenko #29 (end of Spring).
Date: Sunday, 20th November, 2016.
Location: St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Herbert St, St Kilda, Victoria.
Time: Gather at 10.45 a.m.
Items needed: Walking shoes; things to write with.
Cost: $30 ($20 concession).
Food: Bring a picnic lunch.
Guidelines/ support: Group leader Myron Lysenko will provide a handout detailing haiku techniques. Together the group will then create, share and workshop haiku in a friendly and supportive environment.
Suitability: Appropriate for both beginners and experienced haiku poets.
Enquiries: myronpoet@hotmail.com

Poetry in Japanese forms in Canberra

Translator, editor and poet Amelia Fielden facilitated two significant poetry events in Canberra on Friday, October 14, and Saturday, October 15. Held at Manning Clark House, the first was an engaging launch of two poetry books in Japanese-derived verse forms, “Colouring In” (featuring tanka exchanges by Amelia herself, as well as by Gerry Jacobson, each working in collaboration with American poets); and “Poems To Wear”, a collection largely comprised by tanka – but with numerous haiku also included – exploring the theme of clothing/ apparel. The second event – held at the Australian National University – was an Australia/ Japan Tanka Workshop, where the first of two discussion sessions was led by Amelia Fielden, supported by Japanese poetry expert Noriko Tanaka and Dr. Carol Hayes (from ANU’s Japan Institute). Giving feedback on tanka strings/ sequences offered anonymously in advance, the afternoon session – likewise rewarding – was co-ordinated by Kathy Kituai, facilitator of the Limestone Poets Group.
Continue reading “Poetry in Japanese forms in Canberra”