.The Renga Project
.
now over 2000 verses
and extended to Christmas!
Roger McGough: "This is a lovely idea."
BBC Poetry Season:"The free project, led by Japanese poetry expert Alan Summers, is the first attempt in Europe to produce a 1,000 verse Renga."Alan Summers also took part in the BBC's Poetry Summer 2009 season.An open invitation to poets and the public :We'd love even more renga verses from all the residents of Bath, and all the poets and writers in Bath!
If you don't know what a renga verse is, we can send you an example that you can link your verse with, if you email us at: moreverses@withwords.org.uk
We urge you to help us create a super poem that is jointly written by the public and local, national and international poets.
We believe this super renga will stand as an extraordinary social document, as well as a riveting poem.
CompetitionA competition is also being planned in the New Year for the best verses in various categories: local poets and writers; international poets and writers; the general public; and schools and children.
AN EXPLANATION ABOUT THE WHOLE THING!
This is a unique project drawing experienced writers, and international haiku and renga poets, and their verses together, with contributions from the general public.
I'm the Japanese Embassy roving "Japan-UK 150" haiku & renga poet-in-residence currently in partnership with Bath Libraries.
A challenge started on National Poetry Day (U.K.) in October for the residents of Bath and North East Somerset to create the world's longest poem using the renga form of poety (see below).
This project became more than a poem, it allowed people from all walks of life to reveal aspects of their life, their worries, their fears, to create a unique time capsule for the residents of this area:
and with verse contributions from all over the world from people who care about people beyond their geographical, political and cultural boundaries:
Bath Chronicle: Councillor Terry Gazzard, Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet member for tourism, leisure and culture said:
"B&NES' libraries are a place where words can come alive and everyone has the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Schemes like this poetry project bring the whole community together and reinforce Bath's reputation as a global centre for the arts."
Alan Summers, Bath Chronicle newspaper:
"Libraries are a place of words, and as someone who promotes the love of words, what better place could I choose to launch this incredible type of poem, where the public write the poem – not the poet."
I also want everyone to join in with this fully inclusive group poem!
Bath Central Library access incl. lifts, BSL, and computers:
.
http://tiny.cc/LibraryAccess
photo©Alan Summers 2009
Click on above picture for a larger image.
NATIONAL POETRY DAY
We started our 1000 Verse Renga off with a bang with National Poetry Day and never looked back.
People were asked to leave a renga verse, and just have fun reading the other verses. We asked them to remember that the more instant a verse was, and "off the cuff " the more immediate and fresh it would appear.
The Council Connect mobile phone is still active to txt a renga verse (we only need 2 or 3 very very short lines) to: 07797 806545
You can also email a verse: 1000verses@withwords.org.uk
The Wiltshire Times articlePlease txt a renga verse (2 or 3 very short lines) to: 07797 806545Or email: 1000verses@withwords.org.uk
photographs by Alan SummersNational Poetry Day, Thursday 8th October 2009, and local poet Paul Amphlett provided us with the very first verse, seen here with Bath Libraries Reader Development Officer June Wentland on National Poetry Day.
photo by Alan SummersWhich is followed promptly by Stock and Online Resources Librarian Mary Henderson. 
photo by Alan SummersNikki Bennett, respected local poet; Bath Stanza Rep for The Poetry Society; and organiser of the Uni-verse International Poetry Group also adds a verse!
photo by Alan SummersA B&NES library user and one of our many renga verse contributors.
photo by Karen HoyGrowing number of renga sheets and complementary individual verse cards (handcopied by June Wentland, Reader Development Officer for Bath Libraries) that are on bookshelves throughout the library.
photo by Karen HoyThe mission
is to help create the World’s longest ever poem with the help of visitors to Bath Central Library.
What is the world's longest poem? It's a renga poem, and just like haiku it came from Japan.
It's where people from all walks of life don't even have to be a poet to help create a poem. Where they jointly create a poem made up of verses from the general public and respected writers and haiku poets from around the world.
How does that work?
RENGA
Renga is a traditional Japanese group poem that is ‘shared writing’: everyone is allowed the chance to write, or orally suggest a verse. It’s very inclusive, creative, and encouraging, and the making of this communal poem is as important as the final result.
WHO ARE JAPAN-UK 150?
Japan-UK 150 was set up by the Embassy of Japan for a range of activities across the U.K. to celebrate 150 years of the 1858 Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce in Edo (Tokyo).
MORE ABOUT RENGA
Of all the ‘poetic forms’ this is one that works for people who have never written before, and yet offers a great challenge for those who are already comfortable and established writers.
When completed the renga poem is jointly owned by everyone.
The renga verses are more than the sum of its parts because they capture our thoughts and feelings, which might otherwise be lost at the end of the day.
As a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renga poetry (haiku originated from renga as its ‘starting verse’) I felt renga was an ideal choice of activity for a Japan-UK 150 event.
Anyone interested in learning more and participating in renga should consider joining the friendly folks at The Renku Group: http://renkugroup.proboards.com
THE AIMThe aim is that towards the end of the residency we can display a renga poem in the library; to present a sense of achievement to the local community; and to develop a further interest in Japanese culture.
I will also call upon national and international haiku/renga poets to help us achieve and complete the 1000 verse renga.
This is so that the local community are involved with a renga that has been around the world from Africa (including teachers and schoolchildren from Nairobi); Japan; India; Nepal; Pakistan; North America; Canada; Ireland; and West Indies, just to mention a few of the countries where I know people who regularly write haiku and renga.
Come on down to Bath Central Library:
Ask a librarian where the big Renga Posters are, find a space for a verse and write one down!
We aim to get 1000 verses, and even more if possible, and we want you to add a verse to make that happen.
What would you write about?
Ideally we're looking for two or three VERY SHORT lines that read like they have come from the middle of a snatch of conversation with a friend.
You could put down what's important to you right now!
It could be anything, it could even be about naming a newborn child, or something about your partner, or why you love Bath or your own part of the world, or just something that makes you laugh out loud despite our troubled times, and current recession.
Alan Summers is the founder of 'With Words' which promotes the love of words through events and workshops. National Poetry Day's theme for this year is "Heroes and Heroines".
The 1000 Verse Renga project has been wonderfully supported by June Brassington, BathNES Head of Libraries; June Wentland, new Libraries Reader Development Officer; Ann Cullis, Senior Arts Development Officer and Peter Salt, Arts Development Officer of Bath & North East Somerset Council and all the librarians both at Bath Central Library, and all the other libraries in the county where renga branches are happening.
"This project is ground breaking as the aim is to write a 'senku' renga (a renga of 1,000 verses), something that we think has never been completed before in Europe! We are again breaking new ground by having branches off the 'main line'.
We want as many Bath residents to take part as possible. There will be a display in Bath Central Library for people to contribute and renga branches will be taken to our branch libraries to contribute.
Contacts across the world will also be contributing some renga branches started off in Bath...linking Bath (as the central focus) to places across the globe."June Wentland, Reader Development Officer, Bath Libraries U.K.
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Labels: competition, Roger McGough, The 1000 Verse Renga
