On a blue sky day, seven haiku poets gathered at the Auburn Botanic Gardens to perform at the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival. Readers were Gabby Higgins, Colleen Keating, Leanne Mumford, Nick O’Connor, Vanessa Proctor, Carol Reynolds and Pauline Trennery. The Australian Haiku Society has been reading at the festival since 2018.
Continue reading “AHS Haiku Reading Event at the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival”A big thank you to everyone who entered the Australian Haiku Society’s “Spring Flowers” haiku contest in August. This was the first time we conducted a contest to correspond with the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival. The contest was open to haiku poets around Australia and attracted 54 entries, with all states and the ACT represented (ACT: 3, NSW: 23, QLD: 5, SA: 2, TAS: 6, VIC:11, WA: 4). Poets who entered were a mix of established and less experienced poets, including at least nine children – seven from one school and two siblings.
Continue reading “Results of the ‘Spring Flowers’ contest, 24 August 2026”In the lead up to the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival, being held again in late August at Auburn Botanic Gardens, the Australian Haiku Society is running a haiku contest this year with the theme of ‘Spring Flowers’. We will be inviting Australian poets only to submit one haiku on this theme. The submission period will be from 1st August, closing at 5pm AEST on Monday 17th August. Results will be announced at a haiku event during the festival on Monday 24th August commencing at 10am. Prepare your best work and stay tuned for the submission form, which will be available from 1st August.
Continue reading “Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival ‘Spring Flowers’ Contest opens 1st August”
Vanessa Proctor will be facilitating a Haiku Poetry Workshop for Wyong Writers Group this coming Saturday, 23rd August.
For more information about the club visit www.wyongwriters.org
Not having any personal connection with Cynthia Rowe, I’m very grateful to Vanessa Proctor, Cynthia’s successor as AHS President in 2016, for providing the following tribute to her.
The comments section at the foot of this page will remain open until 20th May for you to add your personal reflections and tributes to an influential Australian haiku poet who shared her passion for haiku with so many around the world.
Leanne Mumford
On Wednesday 21st August, a beautifully warm and sunny day, seven haiku poets, friends and family members, met at the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival in Auburn to take part in a reading and ginko led by Vanessa Proctor. The theme of the day was spontaneity as our expected location was not available. With some quick thinking, we found a bench and some chairs beside the billabong in the shade of a fig tree.
Continue reading “Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Event 2024”A small group gathered in historic Camperdown Cemetery in Newtown, Sydney, on Saturday 13th July: Jane Gibian, Vanessa Proctor, Carol Reynolds, Susan Grant, Zina Ioannou and Leanne Mumford. Surrounded by Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, its tall trees and remnant native grass help make the cemetery a welcome place for quiet recreation in the inner city.
Continue reading “Report on 6th Gadigal Ginko – Winter 2024”On a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon 25 haiku poets and poetry lovers met in the Gallery, a heritage room in the Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre to celebrate the Sydney launch of under the same moon: Fourth Australian Haiku Anthology (Forty South, 2023).
Continue reading “Sydney Anthology Launch 14th April 2024”
