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”The Australian Haiku Society Winter Solstice Haiku String 2024 has now closed for entries. Thanks to all the poets for their contributions. Please enjoy the haiku!
The Australian Haiku Society welcomes contributions from haiku poets worldwide to the Winter Solstice Haiku String 2024.
We will be holding this Haiku String on the day of the Southern Hemisphere Winter Solstice, which occurs in Australia this year on Friday, June 21st, 2024. The string will remain open for contributions until Saturday, June 29th, 2024, to accommodate international poets who may wish to participate.
Continue reading “AHS Winter Solstice Haiku String 2024”It’s now only two months until Haiku Down Under 2024, which will take place online via Zoom from Friday to Sunday, August 16-18, 2024. Register for free for Haiku Down Under 2024 via the form on the website’s Register page. You will receive an initial confirmation email. Zoom links will be sent in August. Registrations will close on August 11. A haiku contest to be run in conjunction with HDU 2024 will only be open to registered participants.
Visit the Programme page for current information on the mix of presentations, interactive workshops and other activities planned for the weekend. Visit the Presenters page for details of our exciting line-up of poet presenters.
For any queries or messages for the Haiku Down Under team, please use the link on the Contact Us page.
The next Gadigal Ginko in Sydney – number 6 – will take place on Saturday 13th July, from 10am, in Camperdown. Contemporary haiku poets of all levels of experience are invited to join the gathering. To register and receive details of the exact meeting point, please visit the Gadigal Ginko web page.
Leanne Mumford
Convenor, Gadigal Ginko
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”The fifth Gadigal Ginko took place on the eve on International Haiku Poetry Day. Nine poets gathered outside the Art Gallery of New South Wales, in front of the new building: Gavin Austin, Gwen Bitti, Subha Goonaratne, Marilyn Humbert, Margaret Mahony, Alison Miller, Leanne Mumford, Jan O’Loughlin and Tom Staudt.
Continue reading “Report on 5th Gadigal Ginko”Jenny Macaulay, of the Portarlington Haiku Society, is offering a unique opportunity. The Bellarine Historical Society (Victoria) is holding a fundraising day (expected to be 6th July) called ‘Rhubarb Rhubarb.’ It involves a baking competition, including relish/chutney, etc and an art competition for local artists. In amongst the exhibits Jenny would like to display haiku related to rhubarb and is calling for contributions. The haiku will be displayed along with the author’s name. It is purely for fun, and to promote haiku awareness.
If you have rhubarb haiku you’d like to contribute, please use the AHS Contact Secretary form to be put in touch with Jenny by email.
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”
Australian Haiku Society 