Wollumbin Haiku Workshop presents its fifth collection of haiku on:
Previous collections may be found on the site under archives
Please feel free to send the workshop web address, to any groups or individuals you think might find it of
interest. Feedback is appreciated.
'Sketching Light', is a collection of free verse, haiku, tanka and haibun by Dawn Bruce, published by Ginninderra Press. It will be launched by Beverley George at Gleebooks, Glebe Point Rd, Glebe, Sydney on 31st May at 2.30. All welcome to come along.
The inaugural meeting of the Red Dragonflies (akatombo) was held on the 15th March, with an autumn theme, at the convener's home in Pymble.
Honoured guest haijin, John Bird, inspired the group with his haiku and commentary as well as sharing methods of organizing a haiku group, informed by his experiences with the Wollumbin and Cloudcatchers Haiku Groups, located near Byron Bay.
On her shady patio, Vanessa Proctor led the members, Dawn Bruce, Barbara Fisher, Beverley George, Cynthia Rowe and Lesley Walter, through a most fruitful afternoon.
Dawn Bruce
A workshop for anyone interested in haiku and Zen Buddhism
perched
upon the temple bell
the butterfly sleeps
Buson
The interactive workshop will examine the influence of Zen on the ancient Japanese form of haiku poetry, explain how the two have come together and why Zen has relevance to writing haiku for even those who have little understanding of Zen philosophies.
Wollumbin Haiku Workshop presents its fourth collection of haiku on: www.wollumbin-haiku.com
Previous collections may be found on the site under archives. Please feel free to forward this email, or send the workshop web address, to any groups or individuals you think might find it of interest. Feedback is appreciated.
Julie Simpson reports that The Pencil Orchids Creative Writing Group at Wollombi in the Lower Hunter Valley celebrated National Poetry Week 2007 with a display at Cessnock Library. Their (70-piece grape vine shaped collaborative haiku, (pictures of which Beverley George took to the 3rd Pacific Rim Haiku Conference, Matsuyama, as part of her presentation), together with an illustrated History of the Haiku Masters -- from Basho to Koi Nagata -- attracted favourable attention and warm comments. An A3 sized Haiku a Day poster was eye-catching in the library’s front window and there was a colourful display of bird and insect kites, carp, bonsai, a paper umbrella and haiga (haiku paintings) in showcases and on the foyer walls.
Haiku, the short poem which originates in Japan, has probably never been more relevant than it is today. Haiku subject matter, with its emphasis on humanity’s place in the natural world, is the stuff of today’s headlines.
Indeed, in the words of one great English-language haijin, the late American Jack Stamm, haiku are headlines. By this he meant that in no more than 17 syllables, haiku cast bright spotlights on nature.
Haiku demand that we look, that we see, beyond our own minds at the world around us.
These micro poems demand of us consideration for a setting where our planet’s welfare is our own.
Sand Between the Toes, a collection of haiku in print and with music on CD, could not have come at a better time.
Continue reading "Sand Between the Toes - a DPP initiative" »
Dangerously Poetic Press will be launching sand between the toes, a haiku journey through Byron Bay and beyond CD/book at the Byron Bay Writer’s Festival on Sunday the 29th of July at 1:45 pm. Dr. Jacqui Murray will do the honours. Poet, journalist, historian and broadcaster, she has been writing haiku for many years. In that time she has been an international haiku judge, co-ordinated the JAL World Childrens' Haiku Contest in Australia and has been widely published. She is also a founding editor of the haiku magazine, Paper Wasp. About the cd/book, she has said, A lyrical reaffirmation of nature in haiku, music and organic sound to calm the senses and feed the soul.
Report by Beverly Sweeney
on behalf of
Dangerously Poetic Press
Byron Bay’s Dangerously Poetic Press invited Beverley George, internationally acclaimed tanka poet and editor of Eucalypt, Australia’s first literary journal for tanka, to lead our Tanka Workshop on Saturday 16 of June and to also read at our monthly poetry reading on the following day.
In the quaint little CWA hall in Brunswick Heads 15 poets, some having their first attempt at tanka, sat down pens in hand eager to learn about this fascinating Japanese form. Beverley shared her extensive knowledge of the history and current status of tanka both in Japan and other countries. There was much laughter and lively discussion demonstrating yet again the interest in this area stimulated by Japanese poetry. In the afternoon with Beverley’s support we all attempted at least one tanka and were given plenty of useful feedback. There’s no holding back our Northern Rivers poets when we get together. It was especially delightful that we had amongst the participants several poets experienced in this form such as John Bird and Max Ryan. We lunched, laughed and wrote and I for one have been tinkering with tanka ever since.
Wollumbin Haiku Workshop
presents its latest collection of haiku on:
http://users.mullum.com.au/jbird/Wksp/W-home.html
Previous collections may be found on the site under 'archives'.
Please feel free to forward this email, or send the workshop web
address, to any groups or individuals you think might find it of
interest.
If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please notify the
Workshop by using the email address below.
Nathalie Buckland
wollumbin@fastmail.fm
Wollumbin Haiku Workshop presents its inaugural collection of previously unpublished haiku by John Bird, Quendryth Young & Nathalie Buckland at:
http://users.mullum.com.au/jbird/Wksp/W-home.html
Haiku Workshop
Graham Nunn 11 June 2006
RSL Hall Alstonville 9.30 am – 4.00 pm
Quendryth Young reports:
The Northern Rivers area of the far north coast of NSW is progressing in leaps and bounds in the haiku way. Recently a Haiku Workshop was conducted at Alstonville NSW, organised by the FAWS (Fellowship of Australian Writers, Summerland). This was made possible by a grant from the Minister of Arts to FAW.NSW Inc.
The workshop was tutored by Graham Nunn, published haiku poet, Convenor of the Brisbane Poetry Festival, Editor of Speedpoets, and currently the secretary of the Australian Haiku Society. It was a full-day workshop, commencing at 9.30 am in the local RSL Hall.
I was delighted with the way the day went. Among the fourteen participants there was great enthusiasm, great participation and quite a bit of awakening. Graham had prepared some hand-outs and these were really pertinent, and a good way to keep us moving forward. His excellent guidelines were clear, and a great reference for future writing.
After learning to read and appreciate (and criticise) some published haiku, Graham accepted haiku previously written by participants, and all members of the workshop were invited to comment. Graham was able to home in on the aspect of any given haiku that needed addressing. We were blessed to have among our number John Bird, an accomplished haiku poet, who was generous in his contributions during the workshopping.
The day just flew by. A ginko had been planned, but the weather was cold and windy, and this had to be abandoned. However, we were fully occupied with lively workshopping and discussion, and I doubt we could have fitted it in anyway!
Time was made available for an introduction to renga. Since then three enthusiasts have joined Graham in a trial run of an email-generated renga experience, and all accounts are of animated and enthusiastic participation.
That evening I was asked to summarise what I had achieved from the day. There was a delight in seeing so many students “lighting up” to the haiku way. There was the emphasis on “focus” – what is important to me, as the writer, to convey. And there was the concept of writing what I see – nothing more – capturing the haiku moment!
Graham contacted me after the day: “I enjoyed the workshop immensely and was so excited at the way people interacted and took to the day! Possibly the best workshop I have run yet! The knowledge and creativity in the room was astounding... Again... I got so much out of the day with all of you... Honoured to have had the opportunity!” One happy tutor!
Every one of the participants was richly rewarded by an excellent workshop. We shall be keeping in touch.
Haiku Vancouver May 19-22 2006. A report from Pauline Cash
Among the rhodendron gardens in the University of British Columbia, 41 haijun gathered to discuss haiku and tanka.
The event was organised by Alice Frampton and was attended by poets from Japan, US and Canada. Participants from Australia were Amelia Fielden and myself. We were housed in a student hostel on campus.
A highlight of the first day was a ginko (haiku walk) through the Nitobe Gardens where we went our separate ways to contemplate the sensory beauty and symbolism of this walk through life. The cedars, firs, maples and hemlocks, the low rock, the waterfalls, bridges, lanterns and birdlife provided inspiration for many haiku. Later that day poets wrote their haiku for posting on a wall outside for all to enjoy.
Ginko
A Report by Nathalie Buckland
River and sea meet at Brunswick Heads, on the far North coast of NSW. On a fine autumn Friday, just a hint of autumn in the air, ten haiku poets gathered close to a sandy beach for a 'ginko'. This was the second time that we had been privileged to get together with the two JBs, Janice Bostock and John Bird.
The pattern of a ginko morning had been set by John, the initial organiser, at our first meeting last December. This time we spent just a few minutes in greeting the others. Quendryth Young reminded us of the focus of the ginko, and we walked away in silence.
For half an hour we wandered slowly, on the beach, by the river, through the park. We used all our senses, jotting down words and phrases. There were birds and clouds, yellow butterflies and the sound of the waves. There was also a wooden bridge and the rattle of passing cars, the voices of children, a plane overhead.
Still in silence, we sat at the picnic table and wrote, trying to put all our collected images into haiku.
After another half hour of deep concentration we shared morning tea, and then took it in turns around the table to read out our haiku. There was a rich assortment of people, young and not so young, experienced writers of haiku and those keen to learn. What was universal was the freshness of the writing, surrounded as we were by the environment which had inspired us all minutes before.
The reading was not intended to be a workshop situation, more a sharing. Of course we all learned a lot from each other, especially from John, Janice and Max Ryan.
This golden morning will stay with us all.