Area 17

Wiltshire College Haiku Course led by Alan Summers: Become well-versed in haiku

2011-12-22T11:45:00.003Z

New course on haiku!

For those on any of my previous courses, this one contains new approaches and subject matter.

Suitable for people new to haiku poetry or already familiar with the subject.

Japan Times award-winning writer Alan Summers.

Become well-versed in haiku
Weblink:

http://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/courses/part_time/detail.aspx?ref=CHAIKU&year=11/12

Who is the course for?

This course is for everyone, whether new or familiar with the haiku genre. It’s both for those wishing to increase their confidence in creative writing, and those wishing to further their general written skills. This course is also ideal for those who enjoy trying something different, and new, in a relaxed, friendly, fun, supportive and inclusive atmosphere.

What does the course aim to do?

The course aims to bring participants a new depth of knowledge of a fascinating and addictive form of writing, and to familiarise them with its leading writers and history. It aims to bring a new creative outlet to student’s lives that can continue after the course – nobody is too busy to write haiku!

What will be covered?

The following topics will be covered during the course:

•    The origin, background, and history of Classical, Modern, and Contemporary haiku.
•    The various styles of haiku inside and outside Japan.
•    A number of tools and techniques to understand, and write, contemporary haiku.
•    How to keep a Haiku Journal.
•    How to edit & strengthen your haiku drafts with confidence using a self-critical and analytical eye.
•    What haiku editors and publishers are looking for in online and print journals, and competitions to send your haiku to (if you are interested in seeing your haiku published).
•    Depending on course length we will also cover forms related to haiku such as tanka and renga.

Alan Summers has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University; he is a past General Secretary of the British Haiku Society; and a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renga. His haiku are translated into 15 languages, including Japanese, Russian, and French, and includes British Sign Language.

Alan is an experienced workshop leader, and editor, in haiku and other haikai disciplines. He has appeared in literary festivals, and readings, all over Britain His 1000 verse renga city-wide projects have been supported by local councils and libraries, and reported on by the BBC’s Poetry Season.

His poetry has been published and anthologized worldwide, including four leading British haiku anthologies: Wing Beats: British Birds in Haiku; Stepping Stones: a way into haiku; The New Haiku; and the Iron Book of British Haiku.

He is also regularly published in Japan, including Japanese newspaper publications: Yomiuri Shimbun; Asahi Shimbun; Mainichi Shimbun; The Japan Times; and The Mie Times.

QUOTES:

Alan is able to work with people who have no experience of poetry to encourage them to try it. He watches and listens with patience and respect and offers guidance that is flexible enough to empower the workshop participants but firm enough to support them.

Rachel Sutton-Spence (2010)
School of Applied Community and Health Studies
Centre for Personal and Professional Development

"Very many thanks again for all your constant and splendid help, support and
patience. I am well aware of the fact that I wouldn't be having such an
amazing journey with my haiku if wasn't for you."

Student, October 28th 2011

"As you probably know by now, I use every corner of my life as a way of
reflection of my psychological personal development - haiku in itself is
great for this, but working with you has just elevated the experience a 100
fold. I can not put into words how much this has meant to me, so as I tried
to say on the phone the haiku is almost secondary, but of course both mean a
lot to me. Your support over the last couple of years or so have just
been such an amazing gift to me - bless you."

Student, 27 September 2011

"Astonishingly moving haiku"
YOMIURI SHIMBUN (Japan) January 2005

"Widely known haiku poet...as dry as vintage champagne"
YOMIURI SHIMBUN (14 million readers in Japan) September 2002

"...you are one of the poets I have been most interested in. I love your haiku style."
Keiko Izawa, Yokohama, JAPAN

"Thank you very much for your support and participation to our festival. Everyone enjoyed it immensely."
Dr. MICHIKO KANEKO, British Sign Language Haiku Festival Organiser
Centre for Deaf Studies, University of Bristol

“Please keep up the great work!”
Patrick Wafula, Community Based Organization (CBO) Teacher, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa 2007

.

Tanka by Alan Summers appears in 140 and Counting ebooks for Kindle, Nook etc...

2011-12-21T12:05:00.001Z

http://www.upperrubberboot.com/140-and-counting/

I'm delighted to announce I have tanka poems published by Twitter based magazine.

Seven by Twenty is an online magazine using Twitter as its publishing platform. Here is a collection of the best twitter literature from the first two years of the journal's history, on relationships, nature and the night, work, animals, seasons, science fiction and fantasy, and mortality, by 119 authors from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Plucky underdog online journal Seven by Twenty is an online magazine using Twitter as its publishing platform, for readers at home and on mobile devices, which started publishing weekdaily in July 2009. Seven by Twenty specializes in literary and speculative writing that fits in a tweet – they mostly publish haiku and related forms (like scifaiku and senryu), and cinquains and American sentences, and very, very, very short stories.

140 And Counting is a collection of the best twitter literature from the first two years of the journal’s history, on relationships, nature, work, animals, seasons, science fiction and fantasy, and mortality: 141 clever little allotments of literature by 119 authors in 1 exquisite ebook!

ISBN 978-1-937794-05-7 (epub) available for iPad, Nook, etc. from Goodreads.
ISBN 978-1-937794-03-3 (mobi) available for Kindle on Amazon.com.

Amazon.com kindle version:
http://www.amazon.com/140-And-Counting-ebook/dp/B006KLYF8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324468534&sr=8-1

Amazon.co.uk kindle version:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/140-And-Counting-ebook/dp/B006KLYF8G/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324467915&sr=1-15

.

Spasms of Light Wonder Haiku Worlds Anthology 1

2011-11-15T17:03:00.001Z

Some of my work appears in this anthology.

Spasms of Light ~ Wonder Haiku Worlds Anthology 1

Editors Shyam Santhanam and Narayanan Raghunathan (founders of Wonder Haiku Worlds)

Wonder Haiku Worlds are pleased to announce their firstanthology available on Amazon.com.

This 248-page book features almost 50authors who had contributed to Wonder Haiku Worlds in its initial years ofoperation, between 2005 and 2007.

The book is divided into 6 parts: Haiku,Haibun, Tanka, Senryu, General Short Verse and Cinquain. It is available as an8.5 X 11 inch paperback volume featuring large print for easy reading.

Wonder Haiku Worlds Anthology 1

· Paperback: 248 pages

· ISBN-10: 1453883223

· ISBN-13: 978-1453883228

Available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Spasms-Light-Wonder-Worlds-Anthology/dp/1453883223

For enquiries contact myself at: alan@withwords.org.uk

and I'll contact the editors.

Helen Buckingham's new collection by Waterloo Press

2011-10-28T16:58:00.000+01:00

One of With Words favourite haiku writers!

Helen Buckingham

Armadillo Basket (2011)

ISBN 978-1-906742-37-9

£10.00

http://www.waterloopress.co.uk/#/helen-buckingham-2011/4555530929

Helen’s strength is her killer lines and an honest dissection of her life, from haiku poetry, and haiku prose, to tanka and longer poetry: she taps the green light in us. From modern one line haiku: that point of white before christ muscles in to tanka that doesn’t relax into clichéd dreams of love, but our fears of losing

   out on life:
   counting stars
   in lieu of sheep
   not daring to blink
   for fear of missing
   one leap

But Helen has another strength in her humour: you will find the most hilarious story, set in haibun form, that highlights cultural differences, via tales of the most dramatic American legends being confused with British TV series The Prisoner, set in a small Welsh village. The mood changes with her ‘Summer is a Hospital’ which reveals the vulnerability in Helen’s formative years, with killer lines: bikini-line nerves… with some fumbling kid… to check into Summer. Strangely this is her most comfortable place as a writer: letting us know she’s been there too; and made mistakes alongside the best of us: that we’re simply not alone in doing this.

Alan Summers, With Words

We all have our ‘armour’ but Buckingham has raised her visor to allow us a glimpse into her life. Pain or pleasure — whatever you find in Armadillo Basket —it is all part of Buckingham and the hard outer protects the softer inner. With this collection she is certainly ‘Moving On Up’.

Colin Stewart Jones (Notes from the Gean, Editor-in-Chief)

One of the things I most admire about Helen Buckingham’s poetry is its ability to live within the moment of its making, a moment that goes on occurring over and over in the smallest of spaces. It’s a facet of the best haiku and one that, despite its reliance on the fewest words, is the hardest to produce.

Liam Wilkinson, Editor, Prune Juice

Liam's Full review:
http://prunejuice.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/review-helen-buckingham/

Helen’s earlier book from Waterloo Press:

Talking The Town Red - Waterloo Sampler 6 (2004)

SBN 1-902731-21-2

£3.00

http://www.waterloopress.co.uk/#/helen-buckingham/4548185413

Notes from the Gean Ginko Samurai Gala Day, Aberdeen, Scotland, 17th September 2011

2011-08-24T21:32:00.000+01:00

Gean Tree Press

Colin Stewart Jones
Gean Tree Press

photo by Cauliay Publishing

Alan Summers

Notes from the Gean haikai literature and tanka poetry online magazineEditor-in-Chief/Resources Editor Colin Stewart Jones and myself as renga/renkueditor will be holding our first live event together.

As part of our commitment to furthering the understanding ofhaiku at a grass roots level NFTG will be conducting:

Notes from the Gean Ginko

Samurai Gala Day, Aberdeen, Scotland

9a.m. - 1p.m. 17th September 2011

This event is part of Aberdeen’s celebrations for Thomas Blake Glover;“TheScottish Samurai” where Notes from the Gean will lead a Ginko (haiku naturewalk), which will be free and open to the public, from StMachar Cathedral through SeatonPark along the Don River and on to the Brig O’ Balgowniepast Glover’s old home and then proceed through the Nature Reserve to theMurchar (Don Estuary).

This should take around 2 – 2.5 hours, but we will cater to all ages andabilities.

PHONE NUMBERS TO CONTACT US ON THE DAY

If you miss us at the early start, text or call us at either my mob. 07979 656 775 or Colin's: 07756093433

People should bring a notepad and pen to take down notes of images from theginko, and wear good shoes/boots and dress for the weather.

We will then hold a session (in a venue TBA) where the walkers can work onimages gathered from the Ginko and we’ll newcomers to haiku to produce theseinto haiku.

I’ll also lead a Renga/Renku session and there will be an opportunity toperform the finished work too, in the special way renga is read. You’ll love it!

Notes From the Gean will also run a special feature on the event which will bepublished along with selected haiku and renga from the ginko in the next issueof the NFTG: www.notesfromthegean.com

Alan Summers, renga editor, England, andEditor-in-Chief/Resources Editor, Colin Stewart Jones, Scotland.

Gean Tree Press

based in Scotland, which already brings you the highlysuccessful Notes from the Gean; our flagship journal has recently undergone amajor restructuring and is also currently undergoing a program to modernize itand, therefore, NFTG will now be completelyy aligned with its mission to"encourage excellence, experimentation and education..." The missionof GTP is no different.

Further to this, GTP is also committed to bringing quality book and e-bookscontaining modern English-language haiku and/or related genres, to the widerreading public. Although poetry is a niche market, and haiku even more so, GTPunderstands its market and believes that haiku books should be, and must be,produced by specialist publishers. GTP is, at present, in discussions withvarious funding bodies and arts agencies with a view to producing a catalog tofurther this aim.

Though we are forward thinking, GTP is also a traditional publishing housewhich believes that the quality of the work is paramount and they poetry shouldstand on its own merit. We will, therefore, never charge reading fees nor askour authors to contribute towards the costs of publishing their books. All ourauthors will be offered contracts and they will be paid a percentage of theprofits from sales of their books.

GTP already has some very exciting projects in the pipeline and will be lookingto bring even more to you very soon. A press release and a call for manuscriptsubmissions will be forthcoming but in the meantime we ask that you do not sendus any submissions.

Colin Stewart Jones
Gean Tree Press

Catch my haiku on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch app

2011-08-15T01:06:00.003+01:00

Eight of my haiku are part of a new iPhone app!

And it's free
and there's 365 haiku in total!

THF Haiku

By Luke Bradford

http://itunes.apple.com/br/app/thf-haiku/id453464896?mt=8

Description

THF Haiku brings contemporary haiku to your Apple mobile device with a shake of your hand—literally.

Shake your phone or other mobile device and a new poem appears.

The app is loaded with 365 haiku from poets around the globe, showing the range of topics and form characteristic of today’s haiku.

Additional poem packets soon to be available!

Requirements:

Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch,
and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

You can download THF Haiku from the App Store on your Apple device.

Alan Summers is one of the Wednesday haiku for Issa's Untidy Hut

2011-06-15T13:00:00.008+01:00

http://lilliputreview.blogspot.com/

The 2011 Kids Count for Earthday Haiku Contest Results!

2011-06-14T16:17:00.005+01:00

This competition, sponsored by HSA this year, was an incredible world-wide success.

Alan, With Words

REPORT

Hai Five To The Winners Of The Earthday Haiku Contest 2011!

HSA (Haiku Society of America) were our new sponsors, thank you HSA!

Other sponsors are:

With Words (UK); Sketchbook Haiku Journal (USA); and Planetpals (Worldwide).

From co-founder Judith Gorgone of Planetpals:

"It was quite and honor to receive so many creative entries from children and classrooms around the world. This year we decided to add comments written by the esteemed Judge from the Haiku Society of America, an'ya. Her comprehensive commentaries help us all understand why the haiku were chosen as well as, helping us learn. We are quite pleased to have the Sponsorship of the Haiku Society of America who generously donated a years membership to the winner."

Haiku Art entries
Thanks to Planetpals and Judith, this year, many entries included Haiga (Art plus Haiku). So, we have featured them separately: http://planetpals.com/earthday-haiku-contest-2011-haiga.html

Earthday Haiku Contest for Children and Young Persons 2011 Contest Results

All 2011 entries will be published on Sketchbook Haiku Jounal http://poetrywriting.org/

Judges commentary (an'ya, representing HSA)

An excellent turn out of haiku!

Our main criteria was good writing which captured the haiku spirit. Not all the entries were necessarily 5-7-5, and as this was only a guideline, you will find the occasional exception.

A big thank you to all who entered, we enjoyed over 250 entries from various countries.

*All haiku comments below kindly written by an'ya, Haiku Society of America Judge

Overall First Choice

The overall winner for 2011 is Amy Claire Rose Smith (13) from Darlington, County Durham, UK for this wonderful haiku poem:

Earth Day dusk --
falling all around me
blackbird song

7-9 years old
First Choice:

the water is smooth
a bird dips down, and away
ripples on the water

Katy Smith
Fourth Grade,
Barrington, IL USA, Teacher: Michelle Pezzuto

Comment:
This haiku by Katy Smith still adheres to the 5,7,5 format we were originally taught in our various school systems (which is fine) although nowadays many haiku poets are using just a short, long, short count since the Japanese sound syllables differ in length from English syllables.

Having said this, Katy's haiku moment is as smoothly written as her first line "the water is smooth" which opens the moment with a "wide setting", and then in line two she zeros or zooms in on a bird dipping down, then she takes that bird away and all that is left in line three, are "ripples on the water."

A very good use of "showing" us this moment rather than "telling" us what to think about it. Well done!

Second Choice:

spring meadow
a single honey bee
sips nectar

Philip Painting, (age 9)
The Paideia School, Atlanta, GA, USA Teacher: Judy Cloues

Comment:
In this haiku by Philip, we are visually transported to the wide setting of a "spring meadow" full of flowers, and yet in line two we are given "a single bee"perhaps going from flower to flower throughout the meadow to "sip nectar."

Nicely written with fine juxtaposition and continuity throughout all three lines.

Thanks to this author for sharing his moment.

Third Choice

waterfalls falling
right over the mountainside
straight into a lake

Ben, 4th Grade
Teacher: Liana Williams, Pacific Palisades, CA USA

Comment:
Here we have a very good visual haiku by Ben of literally what a mountainside waterfall does, it falls from the top, right over the mountainside and straight into the lake. If we concentrate on writing exactly what we see in nature, the haiku will almost always come out good.

Too often poets try to put too much into the moment and add poetic devices to enhance the image. Ben shows us that it isn't necessary and we should just accept each moment as a gift and leave it the way nature made it.

10 -12 yrs old
First Choice:

between trees
the moon rises
to let the light out

Camden Smith (12)
Keyser Primary-Middle School, USA

Comment:

A fine haiku example written by Camden with well-thought out word choices. It is interesting where this author chose to break line 2 but because we all pause differently when we speak, another author might have chosen to place the words "to let" at the end of line 2, however in this haiku, I believe that Camden's version works very well.

Second Choice:

rivers and oceans
with salmon going upstream
through the passages

Kristina Horchover, 6th Grade
Teacher: Scott Woodworth, The Out of Door Academy, Sarasota, Florida, USA

Comment:
A lovely haiku with an especially unique third line. We all know about salmon going upstream and we all know about rivers and oceans, but saying "through the passages" leaves Kristina's haiku open-ended so that each reader is free to imagine all sort of different passages. be it in between rocks, over the falls, even time a passage of time. etc.

Keep up the good work!

Third Choice:

sun shows behind clouds.
shimmering rainbow appears -
river sweeps image away

Carl Mann (12) 7th grade
Kensington CT, USA Teacher: Elaine Kotler, Saint Paul School

Comment:
I like this haiku by Carl for its concept of the river sweeping the image of the rainbow away. To improve our haiku, we need to include articles such as "a" and "the" so when the haiku is read by others, it will be just as if we were speaking to them directly in person.

If we leave out articles, our haiku will sound choppy and not flow as smoothly as possible. Even so, as I said Carl's haiku shows depth, attention to detail and imagination.

13-15 yrs old
First Choice:

Earth Day dusk --
falling all around me
blackbird song

Amy Claire Rose Smith (13)
Darlington, County Durham, UK

Comment:
This particular haiku by Amy is absolutely stunning! and is what's known in the world of old-time haiku writers as a "wish-I-had-written-that-one-myself." Albeit, I would humbly recommend removing the emdash after line one in order to allow her haiku to pivot.

For instance it can be read two ways like so: "Earth Day dusk falling all around me" and then "falling all around me blackbird song." - a natural pivot in any haiku is desirable.

The use of "d" sounds in line one is commendable, as well as the "l" sounds in line two carried over with the word "blackbird" in line three. I cannot overly stress the perfection of this write!

Second Choice:

the soft trill of birds
through the trees, straight to my ears
I listen to its claim

Michele H, 8th Grade
Teacher: Jane Scott, Kilo Middle School, Auburn, WA

Comment:
An intriguing haiku by Michele insofar as its 3rd line especially. Normally personal opinion or putting "self" into a haiku is to be avoided, however this author manages to include "I" in a way that is acceptable because of her use of one of the five senses (sound) via the word "listen."

Also direct personification which is giving human characteristics to something in nature is not acceptable, but here again, Michele manages to subtly include the "soft trill of birds" as a claim which is subtle enough not to personify the birds.

Excellent work Michelle.

Third Choice:

rolling in the grass.
rolling over little ants -
then helping them up.

Dallas Kaufman (14), 8th grade
Teacher: Elaine Kotler, Saint Paul School, Kensington CT, USA

Comment:
This haiku by Dallas reminds me of Issa (one of the old masters.) Issa wrote about the little things that are important in our lives and how to treat other creatures with kindness and respect -and many of his haiku were also written about insects.

The empathy of this moment has "beauty of thought" which is often included in mainstream poetry and not nearly enough in our haiku, so kudos to you Dallas for sharing the tenderness of this moment with us, a fine example for Earth Day, which we should all heed.

16-18 yrs old
First Choice:

dark clouds-
he cuts out an akala
from an old tyre

James Bundi (17)
* James is the outgoing chairman of the Bambochaas Haiku Club
Bahati c.c Secondary School, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa

Comment:
Quite a fine haiku by James that links man and nature together nicely for this Earth Day Contest. If there had been more haiku submitted in this age category, I still would have most likely chosen this one.

Akala (an example of a regional season word) are the tyre sandals worn by many people in Kenya who make good use of recycling what is already available to them. Wide setting in line one, subject and action verb in line two and follow through in line three.

A perfect example of a typical haiku format, and in just 13 syllables and 11 words, we are walking right there in the moment.

NOTE:
All entries will also be published in the Fall issue of Sketchbook Haiku Journal, and will appear on the contest blogsite: http://kidsearthdayhaiku.blogspot.com/

Much thanks to the following people for their time and effort :

an'ya HSA; Alan Summers, With Words; Karina Klesko and John Daleiden, Sketchbook Journal

Previous blogpage to explain about the contest:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/2011-kids-count-for-earthday-haiku.html

http://kidsearthdayhaiku.blogspot.com/

Updates and useful information re The Worcestershire Literary Festival, and the Haiku Walk led by Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku Alan Summers

2011-06-14T14:29:00.003+01:00

The Haiku Walk:
Nature As Inspiration

Saturday, June 18th, Orchard Café, Worcester

I'll be around for walks from 11am to the last one ending late afternoon in time to enjoy a last cup of tea with everyone wishing to chat about haiku.

Orchard Café
http://theorchardcafe.co.uk/home/

The Haiku Walk: http://www.worcslitfest.com/the-haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration

FFI:
http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/05/haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration-alan.html

Fresh in from the Worcestershire Literary Festival organisers, some really useful information, and easy ways to get information about events and book them so you don't miss out!

The Festival Programme Is Now Online

The programme for the festival is complete and the countdown has begun to
the launch of the first ever Worcestershire Literary Festival.

NEW – Festival Hotline Number
The dedicated festival hotline number is 07971 379673

This number is now active and will be operational during working hours
(Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm) from Monday 6th June 2011 until Tuesday
27th June 2011.

During the festival this number will be based in the
Festival Information Point in the Crowngate Shopping Centre in Worcester.

Calls to the Festival Office will still be answered but we would try to
encourage you to call the hotline number with any queries that you have
about the Festival.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW FROM THE FESTIVAL OFFICE FOR MOST EVENTS USING PAYPAL:

http://worcslitfest.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d59f68bafcf8a9b599635da96&id=9280a4d093&e=a9362e0037

If you need any help with purchasing tickets for events, please contact the Festival Office on:

0845 652 0621 and they’ll do their very best to help you.

During the Festival itself we will be distributing information from Unit C7 in the Crowngate in Worcester as well as selling tickets for many of our events and merchandise.

This will be the central information point for all things related to the Festival, and is situated next door to The Entertainer and opposite Huntingdon Hall and the Art House Café in The Crowngate Shopping Centre, Worcester.

Please do come and see them there, we will be open from 10am till 4pm from
Monday 13th June 2011 until Monday 27th June 2011.

You can download a copy of the Worcestershire Literary Festival brochure by clicking here.

Please note it is 5mb in size and may take a few minutes to download on slower connections.

The brochure is currently being distributed to various locations throughout Worcester and Worcestershire: http://worcslitfest.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d59f68bafcf8a9b599635da96&id=b4755ef20e&e=a9362e0037

Blog for the Festival!
Would you like to blog for the first ever Worcestershire Literary Festival?

They are looking for reviews, photos and videos of WLF events for our new blog
www.worcslitfest.blogspot.com

so that they can leave behind a permanent record of this years Worcestershire Literary Festival.

If you are running an event, appearing at an event, volunteering or helping at an event or are an audience member at an event, we would love to hear from you.

Please send in your blog entries, photos, or videos to: blog@worcslitfest.com and they will upload them onto their blog.

We will give each contributor a full credit and link to your website where
applicable in your blog entries: blog@worcslitfest.com

WLF Mailing List

Want to sign up to our mailing list and receive the latest news, updates,
offers and information about the forthcoming Worcestershie Literary
Festival?

Simply send an email to: mailinglist@worcslitfest.com
with SUBSCRIBE in the subject bar to start getting updates from the WLF team.

Press & Photography Passes

If you are a budding writer, blogger, reviewer or photographer you can request a press or photography pass to gain access to all WLF events during the festival in June. Please apply and request one by emailing: info@worcslitfest.com

How To Find Events During The Festival

Please click here to find out information about Worcester and Worcestershire and how to get to some of the venues taking part in the Festival:
http://worcslitfest.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d59f68bafcf8a9b599635da96&id=20d485244a&e=a9362e0037

Map Of Worcester City Centre and Map Of Worcestershire:

Links:
http://worcslitfest.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d59f68bafcf8a9b599635da96&id=a3bd62b8df&e=a9362e0037

http://worcslitfest.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d59f68bafcf8a9b599635da96&id=4ac3399cc1&e=a9362e0037

See you there!

Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka Vol. 3. An anthology that provides a valuable snapshot of tanka in the 21st century.

2011-06-12T14:25:00.003+01:00

Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka Vol. 3 (2010) published by MET Press. ISBN 978-1-935398-27-1.

Price: $16.95 USD.

A PDF ebook is also available for $8.95, ISBN 978-1-935398-28-8.

I'm delighted to announce that some of my tanka are appearing in this anthology!

Take Five provides a valuable snapshot of tanka in the 21st century.

The Take Five editorial team for Volume 3 (2010), consisting of M. Kei, editor-in-chief (USA), Patricia Prime (NZ), Kala Ramesh (India), Alex von Vaupel (NL), Aurora Antonovic (CAN), Magdalena Dale (Romania), Amelia Fielden (AUS/JP), Andrew Riutta (USA), and James Tipton (MEX), read all contemporary tanka published in English during 2010, including more than 175 venues totaling 18,000 poems.

Sources ranged from tanka journals to social media to musical performances to chapbooks and many other formats.

The result is Take Five : Best Contemporary Tanka, Volume Three, featuring tanka, tanka prose, and tanka sequences by 187 poets and translators from around the world.

With an introduction by editor-in-chief by M. Kei, and commentary by the editorial team,. Cover art by Aurora Antonovic.

Haiku Jam To Raise Money For Japan Earthquake Charity

2011-06-04T10:43:00.004+01:00

Haiku Jam - one of a limited edition series of six haiku jams each featuring haiku by Alan Summers with japanese translations by Hidenori Hiruta.

Haiku Jam - Paul Conneally 2011

This is a phototograph of one of a limited edition series of six jars of haiku jam created by artist poet Paul Conneally.

Each jar of haiku jam has a haiku by award winning haiku poet Alan Summers with a Japanese translation by Hidenori Hiruta (Akita, Japan) published on it.

This Haiku Jam series has been produced for the Japan Earthquake Appeal and will be available at Japan Earthquake Japanese Cultural Day at Derby Roundhouse on the 5th June 2011 11 am to 4 pm

A limited edition of Haiku Jam featuring haiku by award winning haiku poet Alan Summers with Japanese translations by Hidenori Hiruta will be on sale this weekend to raise money for the UNESCO Japan Earthquake Fund. There are six different haiku jams each with a haiku by Alan Summers on its label. The haiku jam can be eaten or just placed on a mantlepiece or shelf as a work of art made by cultural forager and artist poet Paul Conneally.

The haiku Jam will feature at the Japan Earthquake Charity Event at Derby Roundhouse this Sunday 5th June. The event is organised by The East Midlands Japanese Association, Derby Japanese School and Derby College. The Roundhouse is in Pride Park and the event will take place between 11am and 4pm. Click this link to see a poster about Japan Fundraising Event

Other featured activities on the day include Martial Arts, Origami, flower arranging and Sushi workshops and demonstrations; traditional Japanese sports competitions, Japanese refreshments and produce for sale, quizzes and competitions.

The Haiku Jam Series follows on from Conneally's art installation 'Snibston Preserves' for Transform Snibston at Snibston Discovery Museum. Summers and Conneally have worked together many times before and Conneally felt that Alan Summer's haiku were just perfect for the first haiku jam series:

"I was so pleased when Alan agreed to let me publish his haiku on the Haiku Jam jam jars. Alan's work is full of haiku spirit and exactly right for this project with its hope of raising money for and the spirits of those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan"

The piece also forms a pre-event of Phrase and Fragment - The First World Haiku Games which is devised by Conneally for Loughborough University RADAR to coincide with the Japanese Olympic team being based at Loughborough University for the London Olympics in 2012.

Every single penny paid for the Haiku Jam will go directly to the UNESCO Japan Earthquake Fund via the East Midlands Japanese Society and the Derby Japanese School.

.

New haiku entries email for the Global Walk Haiku Competition

2011-05-14T17:09:00.006+01:00

Just to let you know, we have a new E-mail address to mail your Kukai
submissions: haikubanditsociety@zoho.com

Our deadline for submissions is Friday, May 20th, after which we will
post the haiku for participant voting.

And if our readers are able, please consider a donation to a helping
organization for aid to the Tohoku region of Japan.

Enjoy your Ginko walk!

For ffi:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/05/join-us-in-global-haiku-walk-for-japan.html

Join us in a global haiku walk for Japan

2011-05-13T23:44:00.004+01:00

As a blogger inspired initiative to honor 
the spirit and sacrifices of the people 
in Japan's stricken Tohoku region, 
we welcome you to

Cities of Green Leaves Ginko-no-Kukai

May 14 and 15, 2011


We encourage everyone to join us in collaborating with like-minded poets and 
bloggers in combining your skills and talents, enter your haiku in a peer judged 
contest, and take the opportunity to offer aid and support to our friends in 
Japan in a consensus of thought, well wishes and kinetic energies to occur 
simultaneously around the globe.


It's no surprise the kukai's topic will take its cue from Sendai, Japan's annual 
Aoba Matsuri Festival, an event held originally to honor the city's founder, 
Date Masamune. The date has now become an annual celebration with thousands of 
visitors, a parade, sparrow dance, taiko drums and tree lined streets as part of 
the festival each year to rejoice in the arrival of spring's new greenery and 
rebirth.


Choose any place in your vicinity to hold your ginko walk, as long as it holds 
the attributes to inspire many to compassionate action in the beauty of poetry, 
and the celebration of the renewing power of nature's seasons.

Click here

to send and submit your poems. Submissions deadline will be Friday, 
May 20th, 2011.

Send up to three haiku - your submissions will remain anonymous until we post 
the winner's results. Participants will be be able to vote on their favorites on 
this site when posted.

We encourage all participants to contribute to charitable relief for the 
residents of the Tohoku region of Japan. We've listed some organizations below.

Please, enjoy yourselves, and we look forward to walking with you!


Charitable Donations


Architecture for Humanity
Japanese Red Cross Society
Ngo Jen Official Website
Salvation Army in Japan


Participating Blogs

Area 17
ashley capes
Charlotte D's Writer's Blog
Green Tea and Bird Song
Haiku Bandit Society
Hailstone Haiku Circle Icebox
Issa's Snail
Red Dragonfly
Shiteki Na Usagi
Word Pond

please join us!

The Haiku Walk: Nature As Inspiration - Alan booked for the first ever Worcester Literary Festival!

2011-05-08T15:39:00.005+01:00

.The Haiku Walk:
Nature As Inspiration

Saturday, June 18th

I'll be around for walks from 11am to the last one ending late afternoon in time to enjoy a last cup of tea with everyone wishing to chat about haiku.

Event details:
http://www.worcslitfest.com/the-haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration/

Tickets: http://www.worcslitfest.com/shop-tickets/

Information:
http://www.worcslitfest.com/contact-us/
.

Japan Times award-winning writer Alan Summers leads a relaxed friendly haiku-writing walk with Haiku Journal notebooks as complementary gifts!

“Nature half-writes the haiku before we’ve even put pen to paper. Become a co-poet with nature.”

There is more than one walk during the day, so please feel free to join in when you'd like a particular walk.


You can also create your own walk and then meet me at the café for a chat about haiku and how your own walk and haiku writings came about.

Orchard Café: http://theorchardcafe.co.uk/home/
I'll always be based at the café when not on one of the walks:


Start:: Saturday, June 18, 2011 11:00 am
End:: Saturday, June 18, 2011 5:00 pm
Cost:: £5.00 (£4.00 for concessions)
Venue:: Orchard Cafe, Worcester Countryside Centre
Address:
Google Map: Wild Wood Drive, Worcester, United Kingdom, WR5 2LG
.

Cities of Green Leaves Ginko-no-Kukai, and International Haiku Competition

2011-05-01T14:07:00.017+01:00

As a blogger-inspired initiative to honor the spirit and sacrifices of the people in Japan’s stricken Tohoku region, we are pleased to announce:

Cities of Green Leaves
Ginko-no-Kukai

May 14 and 15, 2011

We encourage everyone to join in an international nature walk to be held May 14 - 15 followed by an international haiku contest.

image©With Words
artwork by Dave Alderslade

The address to submit your poems will be posted here this third weekend of May.

Please return often until then for further updates and poetry.

We look forward to walking with you!

Just a bit more information below as well.

We invite you to walk with us on those days, collaborating with like-minded poets and bloggers in combining their skills and talents, enter your haiku in a peer judged contest, and take the opportunity to offer aid and support to our friends in Japan in a consensus of thought, well wishes and kinetic energies to occur simultaneously around the globe.

It’s no surprise the kukai’s topic will take its cue from Sendai, Japan’s annual Aoba Matsuri Festival, an event held originally to honor the city’s founder, Date Masamune.

The date has now become an annual celebration with thousands of visitors, a parade, sparrow dance and tree lined streets as part of the festival each year to rejoice in the arrival of spring’s new greenery and rebirth.

You may choose any place to hold your ginko walk, as long as it holds the attributes to inspire many to compassionate action in the beauty of poetry, and the celebration of the renewing power of nature’s seasons.

Chin P'ing Mei
my sorrowing heart in need
of plum blossom

Alan Summers

Charitable Donations

Architecture for Humanity
Ngo Jen Official Website

Salvation Army in Japan

Participating Blogs

Area 17

Green Tea and Bird Song

Haiku Bandit Society

Red Dragonfly

Emily Dickinson gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-30T00:55:00.004+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

National Poetry Writing Month

www.napowrimo.net

Gendai haiku challenge

inspired by Emily Dickinson
.

last quarter

I save up for a chin of gold

and a new moon

4am moonrise

your chin of gold, and me

tucked in bed

moonrise

I shine your chin of gold

and dimities of blue

backscattered

from the lunar surface

the universe my shoe

haiku for a Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T14:01:00.002+01:00

haiku for a wedding:

hornbeams and maples

Milton echoes round the vaults

of Westminster Abbey

Royal Wedding April 29^th 2011

Prince William & Kate Middleton

http://www.entertainmentwise.com/photos/59411/6/ROYAL-WEDDING-Kate-Middletons-Wedding-Dress-Is-Revealed

weblinks:

Royal Wedding video feeds:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/royal-wedding-live-video-prince-william-and-kate-middleton-married-15147685.html

Trees in Westminster Abbey:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/royal-wedding-video/8482766/Royal-wedding-video-Royal-wedding-first-look-inside-Westminster-Abbey.html

Westminster Abbey:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/the-architecture-of-westminster-abbey

20ft-high English field maples, six in total, along with two hornbeams.

The hornbeam is known for being extremely hard and is said to symbolise resilience. The English field maple is said represent humility and reserve. It is the favoured wood used for harp making and it is also used to create medieval loving cups.

John Milton, possibly the world’s most accomplished poet:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/john-milton

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-29T01:30:00.001+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

National Poetry Writing Month
www.napowrimo.net

Alan's gendai haiku challenge

don't trust the cat

her eyes green the earth

with anti-matter

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-27T16:02:00.000+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

www.napowrimo.net

National Poetry Writing Month

April 27th concupiscence challenge

Gendai haiku challenge

Emperor of Ice-Cream
my life as concupiscence
in a kitchen stanza

A nod to Wallace Stevens and thanks to The Columbia History of American Poetry. Ed. Jay Parini and Brett C. Miller. New York: Columbia UP, 1993.

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-26T12:19:00.007+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

National Poetry Writing Month
www.napowrimo.net

2 single-line English-language gendai haiku by Alan Summers for NaPoWriMo for Monday and Tuesday April 25th and 26th 2011

corn chaff realising oil as one colour

field of dreams an unborn child's colour isn't rapeseed

gendai haiku:

It should be our method that we create haiku which match the times. This is not a new idea and was prevalent in the old days; even Sanki Saito wrote about it before the association existed. Sanki believed:
"To the difficult question 'what is new?'

I will answer: the new means how the emotions of today's society and people are expressed to fit the times. The haiku must be innovative in any time.

So we should begin and continue to express the emotions of the people of this time and generation."

(Gendai Haiku, S.21.10)

Kiyoko Uda
President, Modern Haiku Association

Tokyo, JAPAN

(English Translation: Akiko Takazawa)

Alan's haiku created into posters at StudioManchester's Japan Art Auction

2011-04-25T13:34:00.021+01:00

An incredible collaboration with Hidenori Hiruta and Sarah Jane Robertson through haiku and art has created the opportunity that my haiku have helped in a small way with the disasters that Japan are suffering.

It wouldn't have been possible without Sarah Jane Robertson approaching me, and for Hidenori Hiruta to be so open and ready to help despite being in Japan amongst all the sorrow.

For more of my comments scroll further down, but for now, enjoy the images and the story.

STUDIOMANCHESTER

Hulme Street, off Oxford St, Manchester

haiku©Alan Summers

translation©Hidenori Hiruta

image/poster © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

Japan Art Auction

Thursday 7th April 2011

An exhibition and auction of creative work was organised to raise funds for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal, including two of my haiku which were also translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta, and made into beautiful art posters by Sarah Jane Robertson of Creative State.

More than 40 artists from the UK, Ireland, USA, France, Norway and Japan pledged to donate existing work or create new pieces. The artists range from photographers and illustrators to writers, ceramic artists and jewellery designers.

100% of proceeds donated to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke of the legendary Manchester band The Smiths opened the exhibition.

An initial £4,660 was raised on the night!
[scroll down for later larger amount!]

A big thank you also to the Sponsors:

Samsi Japanese Restaurants
Jonathan Oakes
Studio Manchester

haiku©Alan Summers

translation©Hidenori Hiruta

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

Sarah Jane Robertson, Creative Director at Creative State not only kindly created two stunning haiku mandalas for the auction, in collaboration with myself and Hidenori Hiruta, she also continued to sell them via her blog to raise another £400 for the Red Cross.

Taking the new total to £5,160!

My profound thanks to Sarah Jane Robertson for contacting me with the suggestion of haiku art to help raise funds.

My deep thanks, respect, and admiration, always, to Hidenori Hiruta (Secretary-General of the Akita International Haiku Network) for creating wonderful translations and being such a supportive colleague, in a time of great need.

Details:

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson

www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

magnolia moon haiku©Alan Summers

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

haiku©Alan Summers

translation©Hidenori Hiruta

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

Alan's haiku translation©Hidenori Hiruta

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

Hidenori's translation of my haiku, and I took his literal translation in Japanese as my English translation. Translations can work more than two ways.
.

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

printing process images/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

Leeds and Edinburgh-based graphic designer, Sarah Jane Robertson created this pair of A3 mandala letterpress prints. Entitled Sunshine & Moonlight, she worked with myself and Hidenori Hiruta, in response to the Earthquake and Tsunami and radiation threats.

Sarah then created the prints in response to the poems and letterpress printed them to give greater depth and definition, adding to the original artwork.

photo©Alan Summers

postcards © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk

photo©Molly Cockcroft 2011

Sarah contacted me with this idea with a very short deadline for both of us. I don't know how Sarah pulled out all the stops to produce artwork and then have it created as a quality poster, but it happened.

Hidenori Hiruta came up with quality translations in a very short time, no easy task, and once Sarah received our work in no time she got a design idea working that could incorporate my haiku and Hidenori's translations.

Thanks to two fabulous sponsors of Sarah's who we thank profusely:
Blush Publishing from North Wales, using traditional printing techniques and vintage printing presses.

GF Smith: a specialty paper merchant from Hull, East Yorkshire going for over 100 years, and no need to say more, than if it's from Hull, it's always going to be special, friendly, and quality all the way.
.

Sarah Jane Robertson:

Creative State is the trading name for Creative State Studio Ltd. Registered in England and Wales No. 6557792.

.
Registered Office 6 Chapel Lofts, Commercial Street, Leeds LS27 8HL. VAT Number: 940 0169 54.

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-24T20:42:00.003+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

National Poetry Writing Month

http://www.napowrimo.net/

Gendai haiku challenge

one line haiku

kwkslvr : I've a need for the next biblical cubit

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-23T01:09:00.006+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

http://www.napowrimo.net/

National Poetry Writing Month 2011
.

Single line gendai haiku:

Pharmakós the name you scratch inside

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-22T01:18:00.000+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo
http://www.napowrimo.net/

Catching up to April 22nd and Easter Gendai!

Red Sea
stone fish penetrate
my rubber soul

I sneeze half-a-dozen times the Red Sea parted

Red Sea
Year of the Rabbitfishes
Betty goes Wilde

Red Sea
the Rabbitfishes
out of the jug

Red Sea
a Boxfish breaks out
of its wrapping

the Medusa Stage
out of the fire
out of the coral

Red Sea beat my still heart hydrozoa

Byztantine reasons
deep-water squid
feed the whale

AV positive
the great sperm whale
reigns fifty years

fifty years
the sperm whale
and Justinian

Zam Zam
the baby keeps crying
mosaic over teak

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-11T01:19:00.001+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo
http://www.napowrimo.net

April 11th

some starlight just memory
the wink of an one-eyed dog

as it sneezes

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-10T15:18:00.000+01:00

April 10th

zeros and ones
Monsieur Verdoux
takes a bow

Monsieur Verdoux bombed with film theatre goers and critics when it was first released, but has become a classic.

Weblinks:
1.) http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010/03/anthologizing-bluebeard-a-conversation-with-miriam-bale/
2.) http://www.hashmoder.com/2010/01/16/monsieur-verdoux/

Alan's haiku for NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-09T01:46:00.003+01:00

3 haiku for April 7th, 8th & 9th

Plato's big picture

the meaningful differences

of infused foods

quantum bananas

the drummer wife's

new church

Harper's New Monthly
HC Andersen's sunshine
comes full loop

Box Office now open for bookings including paypal! The Haiku Walk: Nature As Inspiration - Alan booked for the first ever Worcester Literary Festival!

2011-04-07T14:40:00.007+01:00

Box Office now open for bookings including paypal!

http://www.worcslitfest.com/the-haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration/

Previous post link:
http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/04/haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration-alan.html

.

Alan's haiku attempts for NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-07T00:49:00.002+01:00

April 5th and April 6th gendai haiku challenge

Kuleshov's Puzzle

nitrating cellulose

and emulsion

Eisenstein manoeuvre

a Flying Pope's

neutrality collides

Flying Pope Japanese gendai haiku:

http://www.modernhaiku.org/essays/Miller-BanyaNatsuishi%27sFlyingPope.html

Last call out for the Purely Haiku Course!

2011-04-06T15:20:00.009+01:00

Purely Haiku:

Monday Afternoon 11th -

Friday Breakfast 15th April
Claridge House, Surrey, South East England
(just outside London)

Enquiries and Bookings:

Phone: 01342 832150

Phone: 0845 3457281

Claridge House:

http://www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk/courses.php#April

I think that's a brilliant price. It's a bargain for what you are offering. I thought it was going to be much more.

Annie Bachini (past President of the British Haiku Society)
.

There may be some of you who think it's not needed to do a whole course on haiku, after all it's only a certain format, very short, and easy to do. Far from it! ;-)

This course has been specifically designed to show you the delightful complexities and challenges of haiku writing.

It's designed to suit your own particular needs and ambitions.

You can start putting a collection together, or have poems that the best haiku magazines will accept, or just enjoy basking in an environment that is relaxing in every way whilst learning something new.

image©Claridge House

The course is designed to give benefit to both complete beginners and seasoned writers of haiku. Even a highly published friend of mine from Washington State was considering coming over for this course! (Note: this isn't my anthology boss and co-editor but another highly accomplished writer from the same state. See further below in my bio).

The food is exceptional, and ALL fabulous meals and luxurious tea/coffee/other hot drink and cake and biscuit breaks are done by the staff, we don't lift a finger! ;-)

Check our other links on Area 17 to get a further feel of this extraordinary course,
.

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/purely-haiku-unique-uk-based.html
.

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/03/still-time-to-book-up-for-purely-haiku.html
.
and check out our famous fun renga that we do every time to conclude the course:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2008/11/new-residential-haiku-course.html

Alan Summers

Alan Summers is a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renku.

He has been a Poetry School Visiting Tutor for haiku, tanka, and renga, as well as appointed as the Japan-UK-150 roving renga poet-in-residence.

Alan is a founding editor for the haijinx humor in haiku magazine; renku/renga editor for Notes from the Gean haikai literature magazine; and creator of the Bath 1000 Verse Renga, and Hull Global Renga Projects.

Alan will be reading extracts from his forthcoming haiku collection due out in the Summer; as well as from the anthology he co-edited with Washington State haiku writer Michael Dylan Welch.

The Haiku Walk: Nature As Inspiration - Alan booked for the first ever Worcester Literary Festival!

2011-04-05T11:31:00.009+01:00

The first ever Worcestershire Literary Festival : the aim and mission is to raise awareness of the written word, literature and the spoken word in all forms and genres and to provide a fun and educational programme of events that are accessible for all.

The Haiku Walk:
Nature As Inspiration

Event details:
http://www.worcslitfest.com/the-haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration/

Information: http://www.worcslitfest.com/contact-us/

Tickets: http://www.worcslitfest.com/shop-tickets/
.

Japan Times award-winning writer Alan Summers leads a fun haiku-writing walk with a complementary Haiku Journal notebook: “Nature half-writes the haiku before we’ve even put pen to paper. Become a co-poet with nature.”

There is more than one walk, so please feel free to join in when you'd like a particular walk, or come and go too. I'll always be based at the café when not on one of the walks.

Start:: Saturday, June 18, 2011 11:00 am
End:: Saturday, June 18, 2011 5:00 pm
Cost:: £5.00 (£4.00 for concessions)
Venue:: Orchard Cafe, Worcester Countryside Centre
Address:
Google Map: Wild Wood Drive, Worcester, United Kingdom, WR5 2LG

April 2nd - 4th re Alan's haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-04T00:13:00.003+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

Three in a row, from 2nd to 4th April!

2nd April

future waterfalls
new angel DNA bursts out
from dancing pinheads

(gendai haiku)

3rd April

fingertip acupuncture I hold a sneeze at the library

(gendai haiku)

4th April

Simon Says

If you believed they put a man

on the moon

(gendai haiku)

April 1st Alan's haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month

2011-04-01T15:49:00.004+01:00

Poisson d’Avril

I gain the pirate's flag

on my blog counter

France's Poisson d'Avril (All Fools Day):

http://www.francetravelguide.com/april-fools-day-in-france-le-poisson-davril.html

Canadian Poisson d'Avril prank:

http://simplemassingpriest.blogspot.com/2010/04/poisson-davril.html

Pirate flag:

http://s01.flagcounter.com/px.html

Still time to book up for the Purely Haiku course!

2011-03-31T12:42:00.013+01:00

I'm really looking forward to this residential course.

Monday Afternoon 11th - Friday Breakfast 15th April
Claridge House, Surrey, South East England
(just outside London)
Phone: 01342 832150
Phone: 0845 3457281

The Purely Haiku Course details:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/purely-haiku-unique-uk-based.html

Claridge House:
http://www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk/courses.php#April

I think that's a brilliant price. It's a bargain for what you are offering. I thought it was going to be much more.

Annie Bachini (previous President of the British Haiku Society)

There may be some people who think, I know what haiku is, do I need a short residential course?

The answer is yes!

photo©Rosee aka ridlydidlysventures

It is surprising just how much there is to learn about haiku and how the enjoyment can be tripled, quadrupled even.

The residential course starts Monday late afternoon after scrumptious teas and coffees, cakes and biscuits, in a leisurely get to know each other before we get to any workshopping at all.

There's just the one session on Monday, and then relaxed sessions throughout Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

photo©Rosee aka ridlydidlysventures

The course is as relaxed and leisurely as you'd personally like, or can be stepped up to your individual needs.

The main thing is that I'm there to work hard for you, with gentle prompts and workshop exercises, with encouraging lively, engaging, inclusive group discussion and feedback.

Find out about
kigo; kireji; gendai; shasei; juxtaposition and disjunctive methods; and how to make concrete images stand out, and even come across as lyrical in so short a poem, and help improve your other writing styles.

For those new to haiku, it will be a delightful introduction;
for those who know a little about haiku, it will be an astonishing journey to find out just how much more there is to know and enjoy.

For those who are seasoned and regularly published in haiku magazines, this is a chance to work on a body of work that can be submitted to various magazines, and become a cornerstone of your next, or first collection.

Traditionally
we always conclude the course with a fun renga party*, and a souvenir Haiku Journal notebook with our renga verses, and exchange of haiku from each other!

Friday is breakfast and saying goodbyes and hopefully staying in touch!

photo©Anne Simpson

Alan Summers

Alan Summers is a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renku. He has been a Poetry School Visiting Tutor for haiku, tanka, and renga, as well as appointed as the Japan-UK-150 roving renga poet-in-residence.

Alan will be reading extracts from his forthcoming haiku collection due out in the Summer; as well as from the anthology he co-edited with Washington State haiku writer Michael Dylan Welch.

The Purely Haiku Course details:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/purely-haiku-unique-uk-based.html

Comments from previous renga workshops:

"we really enjoyed the renga event...it was a very intensely creative act, and I was really struck by the renga form itself, what it could be capable of...a whole new poetic energy"

Mark, University of Winchester

"Thanks again for a wonderful poetry session."
Yu Yan, U.S. citizen currently visiting England

"I just wanted to thank you again for such a great event...I want to do some more!"
Susan, Plymouth

"Thanks so much for yesterday's renga event - it was fantastic! Really got the creative juices flowing. Let me know when the next one is, I will definitely attend!" Tracey, Bath

"Looks like I missed a fantastic event..I hope to be at the next one."
Caroline, Bristol (she was!)

"More! More!" Libby, Bristol

"It is so tempting to get involved in renku/renga with all the excitement you...generate."

Melinda, USA

Alan's haiku attempts for NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month

2011-03-31T10:45:00.001+01:00

image©NaPoWriMo

About NaPoWriMo http://www.napowrimo.net/about/

NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April.

NaPoWriMo was founded in 2003, when poet Maureen Thorson decided to take up the challenge (modeled after NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month), and challenged other poets to join her.

Since then, the number of participants has gotten larger every year, and many writers’ organizations, local, national and even international, organize NaPoWriMo activities.

Need more information? See the Wikipedia entry for NaPoWriMo!

Pictures of Karen Hoy and Alan Summers reading haiku at the Dylan Thomas Centre as part of the Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales, Gomer Press: double booklaunch programme at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea, Wales, U.K.

2011-03-29T19:08:00.002+01:00

Two Day Book Launch Events for Another Country:

haiku poetry from Wales

(more photos later)

Friday 18th March 2011

A tri-part reading of headlining Welsh haiku writers MC'd by Lynne Rees

Group 1

Vivien Kelly
Sarah Coles

Humberto Gatica

Noragh Jones

Group 2

Karen Hoy

Rona Laycock

Brian White

Ken Jones

Group 3

Alex Morden (for Matt)

Stephen White

Chris Torrance

Saturday 19th March 2011

The Saturday Haiku Night

At The Dylan Thomas Centre

with music

Readings from workshop participants from earlier in the day

Headlining haiku writers MC'd Nigel Jenkins explaining that as well as playing between performers, the musicians will improvise during the actual readings.

Order of performers:

Noragh Jones

Karen Hoy

Alan Summers

Nigel Jenkins

Ken Jones

Lynne Rees

Musicians: Peter Stacey and Maggie Nichols

Karen Hoy enthralls the audience!

Alan looking far more serious than he should. ;-)

Weblink to the book details:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/03/karen-hoy-and-alan-summers-reading-at.html

Karen Hoy and Alan Summers reading at Haiku & Music: Dylan Thomas Centre

2011-03-17T23:54:00.005Z

Scroll down for further information

on both events.

1. Booklaunch

Friday 18th March, 7pm:

Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

the first ever Welsh national anthology of haiku poetry
Published by Gomer Press and edited by Nigel Jenkins, Ken Jones and Lynne Rees, it features haiku, tanka, haibun and somonka – in both English and Welsh – by forty poets, from Wales's haiku pioneers.

2. Music/haiku:

Peter Stacey and Friends including Karen Hoy & Alan Summers

7.30pm Saturday 19 March 2011

Admission: Full price £5; Concessions £3.50; PTL £2

Both events are at:

Dylan Thomas Centre

Somerset Place, Swansea, SA1 1RR

tel: 01792 463980

fax: 01792 463993

email: dylanthomas.centre@swansea.gov.uk

website: http://www.dylanthomas.com

The focal point for fans worldwide, the Centre's home to a permanent Dylan Thomas exhibition, and year-round programme of arts events, including Dylan Thomas Festival. Explore the books and gifts in the bookshop-cafe. Talks and tours available on request. Open from 10am - 4:30pm every day including Bank Holidays. Free admission. VAQAS accredited.

1st EVENT:

Friday 18th March, 7pm:
Booklaunch

Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

the first ever Welsh national anthology of haiku poetry:
http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/karen-hoy-appears-in-major-new-haiku.html

Karen Hoy will be reading from her work featured in the anthology at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

Gomer Press
ISBN: 9781848513068

Published by Gomer Press and edited by Nigel Jenkins, Ken Jones and Lynne Rees, it features haiku, tanka, haibun and somonka – in both English and Welsh – by forty poets, from Wales's haiku pioneers.
.

Karen Hoy

was born in Newport, and lived in Caldicot, Caerphilly and Cwmbran before moving to Hertfordshire.

She is published by Snapshot Press Haiku Calendar; Presence magazine; and British Haiku Society Journal Blithe Spirit.

Karen appears in My Mother Threw Knives (Second Light Publications 2006); and was Highly Commended in the BBC Wildlife Magazine's Nature Writer of the Year competition (2009).

In 2006 Karen founded the TV development company Gilded Lily. She has previously worked on documentaries and wildlife films for the BBC, National Geographic, the Discovery Channels and other leading broadcasters.

Karen is also published in the American/British haiku anthology:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2010/11/fifty-seven-damn-good-haiku-by-bunch-of.html
.

.

2nd EVENT

Music/haiku:

Peter Stacey and Friends including Karen Hoy & Alan Summers

7.30pm Saturday 19 March 2011

Admission: Full price £5; Concessions £3.50; PTL £2

Tel: 01792 463980

Email: dylanthomas.lit@swansea.gov.uk

Website: http://www.swansea.gov.uk/dtc

A celebration, in words and music, of haiku poetry, featuring some of Wales’s leading haiku poets in creative collaboration with musicians, including the renowned flautist and saxophonist Peter Stacey.

Alan Summers

Japan Times award-winning writer of haiku and renku, Alan is also Founder of With Words, a UK-based provider of quality literature, education and literacy projects, often based around the Japanese genres: www.withwords.org.uk

He is also the judge of The With Words International Online Haiku Competition.

Alan and Karen are running a residential haiku course in April:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/purely-haiku-unique-uk-based.html

The 2011 Kids Count for Earthday Haiku Contest now open!

2011-02-26T17:49:00.007Z

Children and young people are getting us to look after our planet through the message of haiku!

For further information: http://kidsearthdayhaiku.blogspot.com/

The Haiku Society of America is sponsoring One Year Memberships as prizes for The 2011 Kids Count for Earthday Haiku Contest created by Planetpals (Worldwide); With Words (U.K.); and Sketchbook Haiku Journal (USA).

The contest is designed to combine the love of Earth with the sheer simple
fun of writing Japanese haiku in English!

We call it the The 2011 "Kids Count for Earthday" Haiku Contest because we want you to help all of us to learn how to keep the planet clean and healthy!

Kids and young people will only need to count approximately 5-7-5 or use some combination of short, long, short syllables, to create their Earthday haiku.

The Contest has four haiku poets all experienced in judging British and American haiku, and international haiku from children and young people worldwide.

So who can enter?

Children and young people aged from 7 years old right up to 20 years from
the USA, UK and English Speaking Countries (including Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii; as well as Japan; Africa; India; Pakistan; Bangladesh; China; Middle East; and Australia; New Zealand and all other countries). If English is not your first language please do add an English language version of your haiku entry as well.

The Haiku Society of America is represented by an'ya; Alan Summers of With Words (UK); Judith Gorgone of Planetpals (Worldwide); Karina Klesko of Sketchbook, Journal for Eastern and Western Short Forms.

The contest is now open
Starting Date: February 22nd, 2011
Ending Date: Earthday-April 22nd, 2011

The competition is open to individual students 7 - 20 years old;
and the theme is"What Earthday means to you".

There will be winners for each category and entries based age appropriately.

All entries must be postmarked no later than April 22, 2011
and include the students name and address or school name and address.
(*NOTE: winners private information will not be distributed to any 3rd parties - all
information is for internal purposes only )

Entries must be e-mailed to:
kidscount4earthday@gmail.com

To be notified of results then email kidscount4earthday@gmail.comagain
saying "Let me know!" in the subject line.

Announcements of the Winners will be by May 22, 2011.

Winning Entries will be published in Sketchbook, a Journal for Eastern and
Western Short Forms.

For further information go to the competition website:
http://kidsearthdayhaiku.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the challenge of writing modern haiku, and best of luck!
Alan, Judith, Karina, and an'ya (judges)

For further information: http://kidsearthdayhaiku.blogspot.com/
.

Purely Haiku - a unique U.K. based residential course

2011-02-17T00:35:00.059Z

PURELY HAIKU, LED BY ALAN SUMMERS AND KAREN HOY

Monday 11th - Friday 15th April
Claridge House, Surrey, South East England
(just outside London)

I think that's a brilliant price. It's a bargain for what you are offering. I thought it was going to be much more.

Annie Bachini (previous President of the British Haiku Society)

Claridge House April 2011 Course details:
http://www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk/courses.php#April

The retreat is fantastic, the venue is peaceful, and everyone and
everything is catered for: no-one gets hungry and thirsty, and it's all
done for us too! The food is amazing, and I can vouch for that as my
background is in the family restaurant business.

We've had first timers to haiku as well as seasoned haiku writers
attending, and everyone benefits from the atmosphere.

The vegetarian and vegan food, covering all dietary needs, non-gluten,
non-wheat, non-dairy etc... is fantastic.

Plenty of organised tea, coffee, non-caffeine hot drinks, cold drinks,
homemade cakes, lots of biscuits including non-gluten and non-wheat etc...

The courses we lead, this is a new one, are excellent value, and it isn't
just for the price of the course, but superb food, accomodation, being
catered for throughout the day etc...

It really is a good course for anyone serious about haiku, or anyone
wanting an intensive course in haiku.

A week is perfect for getting a good grounding, rather than workshops
spread over a year.

It's also great fun, as it has to be, as we have four workshops per day,
but plenty of tea and coffee and non-caffeine hot and cold drinks too!

No matter how large the group every individual gets special treatment.
There are lots of opportunities for private one-to-one sessions, not just
once, but throughout the day, and the week. It means I get to bed
exhausted but very happy. ;-)

We end the course Thursday night with a fun renga session. There's
nothing intense in our intensive course.

Claridge House April 2011 Course details:
http://www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk/courses.php#April

TUTORS:

Alan Summers

Alan is founder of With Words, a UK-based provider of quality literature,
education and literacy projects, often based around the Japanese genres.

He is also the judge of The With Words International Online Haiku Competition.

Alan is also a founding editor for haijinx online magazine for humour
within haiku.

Along with being an editor for a number of anthologies, and two
haiku/renku online magazines, he is also co-editor of Fifty-Seven Damn
Good Haiku by a Bunch of Our Friends ISBN 978-1-878798-31-2 (2010) with highly-respected American publisher and poet Michael Dylan Welch that features the work of British, American, African and Japanese writers of haiku:
http://area17.blogspot.com/2010/11/fifty-seven-damn-good-haiku-by-bunch-of.html

Alan is an experienced workshop leader, and a Japan Times award-winning
writer, with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.

QUOTE

Alan is able to work with people who have no experience of poetry to
encourage them to try it. He watches and listens with patience and
respect and offers guidance that is flexible enough to empower the
workshop participants but firm enough to support them.

School of Applied Community and Health Studies Centre
for Personal and Professional Development

Karen Hoy

Karen is a published haiku writer with Snapshot Press (both journal and
Haiku Calendar); Haiku Presence magazine; and British Haiku Society
journal Blithe Spirit (and BHS anthologies).

Her non-haiku work includes My Mother Threw Knives (Second Light
Publications 2006); and she was Highly Commended in the BBC Wildlife
Magazine’s Nature Writer of the Year Awards, 2009.

2010 and 2011 found Karen featured in the American/British anthology
Fifty-Seven Damn Good Haiku by a Bunch of Our Friends edited by Michael Dylan Welch and Alan Summers (Press Here 2010); and Another Country, Haiku Poetry from Wales, edited by Nigel Jenkins, Ken Jones, and Lynne Rees (Gomer Press 2011) showcasing Wales's haiku pioneers:
http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/karen-hoy-appears-in-major-new-haiku.html

IMPORTANT UPDATES: Haiku North America in Seattle, August 3-7, 2011

2011-02-11T16:19:00.002Z

Haiku North America 2011 – Seattle, Washington

Save the date! Haiku North America 2011 will be held August 3 to 7, 2011, in Seattle, Washington.

Members of the Haiku Northwest group have generously offered to host the 2011 conference and they have many exciting plans already in the works, including a harbor cruise.

The conference itself will be held at the Seattle Center, at the foot of the Space Needle, providing easy access to haiku writing and walking opportunities such as Pike Place Market (via the monorail), the Olympic Sculpture Park, the Experience Music Project rock-and-roll museum and Science Fiction Museum, and countless other attractions—including fleet week and the Seafair festival, with the Blue Angels performing overhead.

The conference theme will be “Fifty Years of Haiku,” celebrating the past, present, and future of haiku in North America.

The deadline for proposals has been extended to February 28, 2011 (http://www.haikunorthamerica.com/pages/2011.html), but sooner is better. Proposals do not have to fit the theme.

If you’ve already submitted a proposal, please confirm with Michael Dylan Welch at WelchM@aol.com that you can come to Seattle on the new dates.

Speakers already include Cor van den Heuvel, Richard Gilbert, David Lanoue, Carlos Colón, Fay Aoyagi, Jim Kacian, Emiko Miyashita, George Swede, and many others.

Detailed information on registration, lodging, and the conference schedule will be available in March.

For further information as it becomes available, please visit www.haikunorthamerica.com. And check out the new HNA blog at http://haikunorthamerica.wordpress.com/.

See you in Seattle!

Garry Gay, Paul Miller, Michael Dylan Welch
Haiku North America

Karen Hoy appears in a major new haiku anthology alongside T.S. Eliot Award, and Wales Book of the Year, poet Philip Gross

2011-02-03T13:37:00.016Z

Karen Hoy appears in the major new haiku anthology: Another Country, Haiku Poetry from Wales.

Gomer Press ISBN: 9781848513068

Edited by Nigel Jenkins, Ken Jones and Lynne Rees, it features haiku, tanka, haibun and somonka – in both English and Welsh – by forty poets, from Wales's haiku pioneers.

Gomer Press: http://www.gomer.co.uk

Contact details: http://www.gomer.co.uk/gomer/en/gomer.About/contact

Free entry and wine, in association with Gomer Press.

Please RSVP: Lowri Walters at Gomer Press: lowriwalters@gomer.co.uk
by Wednesday 16th March latest.

The poets involved are:

Tony Curtis, Philip Gross, Peter Finch, Karen Hoy, Caroline Gourlay, Arwyn Evans, Matt Morden, Rona Laycock, Hilary Tann, Jon Summers, Jane Whittle, Humberto Gattica, Chris Torrance, Stephen Toft, Tony Conran, Rick Allden, Pamela Brown, Marion Carlisle, Sarah Coles, Gillian Drake, Robert Drake, Marc Evans, Eirwyn George, Joan E James, Noragh Jones, Alan Kellerman, Vivien Kelly, Leslie McMurtry, Jayne Rafferty, John Rowlands, Vicky Thomas, Mary B Valencia, Brian White, Stephen White, Jan Wigley, Eloise Williams, Rhys Owain Williamns, and the three editors.

More about Karen Hoy:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/01/karen-hoy-reading-haiku-at-dylan-thomas.html

Karen Hoy reading haiku at the Dylan Thomas Centre from the first Welsh haiku anthology: Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

2011-01-23T23:51:00.007Z

Friday 18th March, 7pm:
Booklaunch

Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

the first ever Welsh national anthology of haiku poetry:
http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/02/karen-hoy-appears-in-major-new-haiku.html

Karen Hoy will be reading from her work featured in the anthology at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

Gomer Press
ISBN: 9781848513068

Dylan Thomas Centre:

http://www.dylanthomas.com/index.cfm?articleid=38516

Free entry and wine, in association with Gomer Press.

Please RSVP: Lowri Walters at Gomer Press: lowriwalters@gomer.co.uk
by Wednesday 16th March latest.

Karen Hoy

was born in Newport, and lived in Caldicot, Caerphilly and Cwmbran before moving to Hertfordshire.

She is published by Snapshot Press Haiku Calendar; Presence magazine; and British Haiku Society Journal Blithe Spirit.

Karen appears in My Mother Threw Knives (Second Light Publications 2006); and was Highly Commended in the BBC Wildlife Magazine's Nature Writer of the Year competition (2009).

Karen is also published in the American/British haiku anthology:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2010/11/fifty-seven-damn-good-haiku-by-bunch-of.html

Mini-memoirs course led by Karen Hoy, Claridge House, Surrey U.K.

2011-01-07T18:36:00.006Z

Want to write memoirs of your earlier life? Don't know where to start?

There are still places available on our Mini-Memoir residential course, run by workshop leader Karen Hoy and assisted by Alan Summers, at the wonderful Claridge House, running from Monday 17th January (a week this Monday) to the Friday morning.

We'll use themes, exercises and discussion to help you unlock and write those short pieces of writing that are complete in themselves.

You can then extend them into fuller memoirs in your own time.

We first used the Mini-Memoir exercises in a workshop setting to generate ideas for haibun, so haibunistas will be at home here.

n.b. haibun is economic prose with one or more haiku.

Themes will be on many subjects, in a friendly supportive atmosphere, where humour will always be a vital ingredient.

Claridge House January 2011 Course:

http://www.claridgehousequaker.org.uk/courses.php#January

Karen Hoy is a published writer (and poet) and has led a number of memoir based workshops for With Words which promotes the love of words.

Karen has a Diploma in Creative Writing from the University of Bristol.

Alan Summers

is the founder of With Words, and has been involved with the BBC Poetry Season.

He is an experienced workshop leader, and a Japan Times award-winning writer, with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University.

Winning haiku including Highly Commended : The 2010 With Words International Online Haiku Competition Results

2010-12-30T20:32:00.001Z

We would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Alan, Karen and Kathy, With Words

A Full Report and Judges Commentary will appear up on With Words later in the New Year.

1^st Prize

the coot's lobes
just melting the ice
snow in the wind

John Barlow

Ormskirk, England

2^nd Prize

after chemo--
finding more beauty

in the petal bare bloom

Terri L. French

Alabama USA

HIGHLY COMMENDED

in their roost
of bark and brambles
the wintering owls

John Barlow

Ormskirk, England

family photo box
how my father smiles
in black and white

Sandra Simpson

Tauranga, New Zealand

bright moon
light years
between starfish

Ernest J Berry

Picton, New Zealand

Commended

Brett Brady, Hawaii, USA

Sandra Simpson, Tauranga, New Zealand

Susan Richardson, Cardiff, Wales
John Barlow, Ormskirk, England

Congratulations to everyone, and many thanks to every entrant who entered the competition and helped support our literacy programme and charities.

The 2010 With Words International Online Haiku Competition Results

2010-12-21T23:13:00.001Z

.

Congratulations to the winners, Highly Commended and Commended entries, but also to the incredible number of well written haiku that made judging so delightfully difficult.

A full report and details will go up onto the With Words website in the New Year.

Happy Christmas to all,

Karen, Kathy, and Alan at With Words

1st Prize

the coot's lobes
just melting the ice
snow in the wind

John Barlow
Ormskirk, England

2nd Prize

after chemo--
finding more beauty
in the petal bare bloom

Terri L. French
Alabama USA

Highly Commended

Sandra Simpson, Tauranga, New Zealand
Ernest J Berry, Picton, New Zealand
John Barlow, Ormskirk, England

Commended

Susan Richardson, Cardiff, Wales
Sandra Simpson, Tauranga, New Zealand
Brett Brady, Hawaii, USA
John Barlow, Ormskirk, England

2010-12-21T19:25:00.005Z

Jean Rasey 1925-2010 haiku poet and good friend

2010-12-07T18:19:00.005Z

Jean Rasey (1925-2010)

Much loved Aussie haiku poet Jean Rasey passed away early Sunday morning 5^th December; she will be sorely missed by so many of us.

Jean’s Austalian Haiku Society biography states she became interested in haiku when hosting a Japanese exchange student in 1979/80. When Paper Wasp formed in 1994 it was the beginning of a rewarding participation in this succinct and evocative form of poetry.

We became close haiku friends via the hugely popular Osaka, Japan based Azami magazine. After Azami’s editor’s demise, we carried on sporadically via other magazines and email including her wonderful book "easy with the ebb" :

http://www.postpressed.com.au/index.html?verse/ebb.html

"Jean Rasey ...writes haiku of pure deliquescence... they melt in the mouth, leaving a delicate after taste of mono no aware, "an empathy to things"... There is a simplicity that skirts plainness or sentiment... When you read her haiku you may well find yourself holding your breath with hers..."

Alan Summers — With Words

This book has become a With Words recommended book for all our students.

"Long have I waited for sincerity. And here it is from far across the ocean, laden with the truth of why we write and why we live!" vincent tripi — Summer 2007

Here are just a few of her haiku over the years:

first flush of dawn

down river a lone oarsman

easy with the ebb

Finalist, Seventh Annual Jack Stamm Paper Wasp Haiku Contest (2005)

moonrise

shadow to deeper shadow

the whisper of wings

Finalist, Seventh Annual Jack Stamm Paper Wasp Haiku Contest (2005)

night rain

I snuggle deeper

into the sound

"A poem Presence readers acknowledged as one of the world's best" H F 'Tom' Noyes

This one published in the British Haiku Society’s Blithe Spirit magazine:

all night the rainbird
not until midday
a rumble of thunder

Blithe Spirit Vol 12 No 1 (2002)

The new issue of haijinx is out!

2010-12-02T21:32:00.003Z

haijinx 2010
volume III,
issue 1
December 2010

The new issue is out, our first new issue since 2002.

We have familiar faces and some new ones for you, enjoy!

Click here to enter our special 2010 issue: weblink

Alan Summers,
haijinx team editor

FREE WORLDWIDE Haiku Competition for children and teenagers!

2010-11-29T13:30:00.009Z

WIN SHOUTING AT THE OCEAN

If you're aged between 4 yrs to 18 yrs you could win a free copy if you write a haiku!

The Poetry Zone have five copies to give away.

Simply write a haiku poem.

Send it to the Poetry Zone at haiku@pzone.freeserve.co.uk

The deadline is December 31st 2010.

The winning poems will appear here in January 2011.

Don't forget to include your name, age and a contact address.

This is a FREE competition and open to everyone around the world aged between 4 years old and 18 years old!

Good luck everyone!

Important. Read these Rules.

1 Send your haiku to haiku@pzone.freeserve.co.uk

2 Send poem in body of the e-mail NOT as a file or attachment

3 Remember to give your name, age and a contact address (No addresses will be published here)

4 The competition is open worldwide (written in English) for children or teenagers between the ages of 4 and 18.

5 Closing date for the competition is December 31st 2010

6 Poems MUST be your own, original work.

Alan Summers is the Poetry Zone’s Guest Haiku Competition judge, all haiku entries sent to: haiku@pzone.freeserve.co.uk

Alan is a Japan Times award-winning poet for haiku, and founder of With Words (www.withwords.org.uk) which promotes the love of words through literacy and literature events using haiku and its related forms.

He also runs The With Words International Online Haiku Competition, and judges children’s haiku competitions around the world.

What is a haiku?
Alan says:
Haiku are short three line poems that don't rhyme and are six seconds long.
Ask a friend to count how long your haiku is by getting them to count the seconds by calling out OCEAN HAIKU! six times.

Competition weblink:

http://secretlivesofpoets.blogspot.com/p/competitions.html

THE BOOK!

Shouting at the Ocean: Poems that make a splash!

Edited by Graham Denton, Andrea Shavick and Roger Stevens

Cover illustration by David Parkins

Illustrations by Cathy Benson, Liz Brownlee, Philip Waddell and Sue Hardy-Dawson

Price £4.99 ISBN 978-0-9555589-0-0

Dive into this wonderful collection of children’s poems compiled by top poets - Graham Denton, Andrea Shavick and Roger Stevens.

Discover who ate Grandma, who sold Mum and who swallowed a stopwatch.

Find out who threw the first doughnut, who caught the three-legged dog and how you can get much, much more pocket money.

Haiku Competition sponsored by The Secret Lives of Poets:

http://secretlivesofpoets.blogspot.com

Fifty-Seven Damn Good Haiku by a Bunch of Our Friends

2010-11-28T01:26:00.016Z

Fifty-Seven Damn Good Haiku
by a Bunch of Our Friends

ISBN 978-1-878798-31-2

Press Here is pleased to announce this publication

edited by Michael Dylan Welch and Alan Summers.

Each editor selected six poets for inclusion in the book, and each of the twelve poets is represented by either four or five haiku.

Not a single one is about parsnips.

The poets, who live in Europe, Africa, North America, and Japan, are
Karen Hoy, Alison Williams, Timothy Collinson, David Serjeant, Caleb
Mutua, Susan Constable, Deborah P Kolodji, Susan Antolin, Dejah Léger,
Tanya McDonald, Helen Russell, and Keiko Izawa.

For orders outside the United States,  please inquire for details by
emailing WelchM@aol.com

To order in the United States, please send $8.00 plus $2.00  postage.

Make payments payable to “Michael D. Welch” and send to him at 22230 NE 
28th Place, Sammamish, WA 98074-6408 USA.

For more information,  please visit
http://sites.google.com/site/graceguts/press-here

Carmen Sterba (haijinx editor, friend and collegue) wishing me luck at Haiku Northwest's Seabeck Haiku Getaway where the book received its U.S. booklaunch.

Photo by Deborah P Kolodji.

U.K. note from Alan, With Words

I'll be receiving U.K. copies this Summer.

With Words will be planning a double book launch in the City of Bath; Bristol; and other cities end of 2011 into 2012.

Karen Hoy and Alan Summers guest star poets for Words & Ears event

2010-10-23T23:55:00.007+01:00

Words & Ears II

Come and join us at Bradford's poem-and-a-pint night.

It's free, and it's easy!

Bring a poem, story or song to share, or just bring yourself.

All performers and listeners welcome.

Karen Hoy and Alan Summers

Wednesday 17th November
7.30p.m. - 10p.m.
Georgian Wine Lodge, The Foyer, Bradford on Avon

http://www.georgianlodgehotel.com/

You may have heard of haiku, but what about senryu, tanka, haibun or renga?

Widely published poets Karen Hoy and Alan Summers read from their work in these Japanese forms, negotiating nature, love, and humanity.

The Georgian Lodge is just two-three minutes from the train station, or the bus stop directly opposite the Georgian Lodge.

Yes, it's really as easy as that! ;-)

From the train station, walk towards the old Norman Bridge (with an old single prison cell) but stop before you walk across, and look over to your right. You'll probably see us waving from the windows! ;-)

Georgian Lodge:

http://www.georgianlodgehotel.com

Old Norman Bridge over the Avon
by Bwana_Brown

Alan Summers' "lazy afternoon" haiku in a Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku) created by Kuniharu Shimizu (Tokyo, Japan)

2010-10-13T12:46:00.004+01:00

lazy afternoon-
I drift along with the breeze
and dandelion seeds

Alan Summers

publication credits:
1.   Haiga artwork by Kuniharu Shimizu (Tokyo, Japan) published at 'see haiku here' (2010)
2.   Writing Events Bath ekphrastic challenge (2010)
3.   'Aesthetics' Bath Spa University literary journal, (Summer 2007)
4.   'Haiku Friends 2' Editor: Masaharu Hirata, Osaka, Japan (2007)

Alan Summers' haiku featured in Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku) anthology

2010-10-12T23:42:00.006+01:00

I’m delighted to see my haiku illustrated in "water" the 2nd of the haiga eBook series edited by Kuniharu Shimizu. This book will help give you a full view of haiku scene around the world.

To see my haiku, and others by leading haiku practitioners around the world, please consider purchasing the anthology priced US$6 or 5 Euros through the paypal system.

Discription: E-book in PDF format. 9MB in data. Viewable on PC, Mac, and any compatible e-reader devices.

Content: 75 color plates of haiga artwork for haiku poems by well known 65 haijin (poets) from around the world.

Kuniharu Shimizu was born in Nara, Japan, collaborates with haiku poets from all over the world, and has made more than 1000 haiga (haiku painitings).

Kuniharu is currently one of the advisors to The World Haiku Association and Judge of the WHA Monthly Haiga Contest.

He says, "My association with haiku poets influenced me to do artistic illustrations. By artistic, I mean the pictures with poetic content. I am not much concerned about the newness of appearance, which is often considered a valuable thing in digital art works. I rather put in some substantial content in my digital works so that the viewer can extract many layers of meanings from them."

Kuniharu was also my colleague and haijinx artist-in-residence from 2001 to 2002.

About Kuniharu Shimizu, haiga artist

Born in Tenri, Nara, Japan in 1949, Kuniharu Shimizu has had many awards including 1st Place in the Ichiretu-kai Scholarship Foundation Logo Mark Contest; and 1st Place in the Japan Toy Association Logo Mark Contest.

• Haiku Awards include: Valentine Awards (2003 and 2004; Special Mention (Heron’s Nest); Second Prize in "Best of 2003" (Mainichi Daily News); Special Prize at the Mongolian Spring Festival Haiku Contest in Tokyo, April 2007; and Merit Based Scholarship Publishing through the Cole Foundation for The Arts in The Baker’s Dozen – Volume III.

“see haiku here” bookstore Website:

• http://tfship.net/bookstore/bkstore.html

"Come Write With Me!" National Poetry Day Community Drop In Renga with Alan Summers and guests at Bristol Central Library

2010-09-18T02:53:00.018+01:00

"Come Write With Me" with Alan Summers

Bristol Central Library hosts Renga Poet and Organiser Alan Summers of literature organisation With Words as he collects short verses from library visitors to create a multi-voiced renga poem similar to those traditionally created in Japan.

Bristol Central Library is very close to Temple Meads Railway Station; Bristol City Centre (1 -2 minutes walk); and Central Bus Station: Bristol Central Library weblink

Dates and times: Thursday 7 October, 10am - 6pm
Venue: Bristol Central Library, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TL
Free, for more information contact Andrew Cox, 0117 9222 180

This event is specially adapted to reflect the National Poetry Day theme of Home, and what that means in Bristol, the poem will be developed throughout the day.

This family friendly drop in event is open to everyone!

We are looking for very short mini-memories that can be then be made into brief renga verses.

People love reading these haikulike verses!

• The whole mini-memory can just take a few seconds to say.
• The words can present a recent or past memory

• It can be about anything from childhood to work, or what you like about your home and/or Bristol.

That's it! We do the rest, just record the way you say it, making it a brief verse that other people love to read, and share.

Just give us a recollection of a memory past or present, or even something humourous, and we will link it to the other verses being created so that people will love hearing them, and reading them.

The verses will be posted on this blog, with your permission, where hundreds of people from Bristol and beyond will read and connect with, and share a common experience with you.

If you have any questions please drop me an email at: bristolrenga@withwords.org.uk

or give me a ring on my mobile: 07979 656 775.

If you get my voicemail I will call you back as soon as I can, as I want everyone to enjoy this relaxed and highly rewarding experience.

What does 'home'mean to you?

is it the building you live in
the place you came from
a taste of home cooking?
or is there something else you can think of!

Above all, this is a fun experience which can result in simple but moving verses enjoyed and appreciated by people from all walks of life.
.

Alan Summers is the current Renga Poet-in-Residence for the Hull Global Renga.

=============
What is Renga?
=============

Bristol bred Alan Summers is the founder of With Words which promotes
the love of words with events and activities through Haiku and Renga
poetry.

He is a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renga poetry
(haiku originated from Renga as its ‘starting verse’).

Renga is a traditional Japanese group poem that's ‘shared writing’:
everyone is allowed the chance to write, or verbally suggest a verse.

It’s very inclusive, creative, and encouraging, and the making of this
communal poem is as important as the final result.

===============
More about Renga
===============

Example of a renga led by Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renga: www.geantree.com/rengarenku9_10toes.html

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.

Renga is where people can sit and stay, or come and go, listen or
write, and above all share in the decision-making of each verse. When
completed the renga poem is jointly owned by everyone.

The renga verses are more than the sum of its parts as they capture our
thoughts and feelings, which might otherwise be lost at end of the day;
we can also share an experience wherein strangers and friends or
colleagues connect for a moment.

======
The aim
======

The aim is that towards the end of the day at Bristol Central Library
we can display both finished renga poems in the library; to present a
sense of achievement to the local community; and to develop a further
interest in Japanese culture.

=====
Blog
=====

The whole poem will also be available to read on this blog.

.

New Edition of Katikati Haiku Pathway anthology - New Zealand Haiku Park

2010-09-14T20:45:00.002+01:00

Haiku Pathway Guidebook

Katikati, New Zealand

10th Anniversary Edition

ISBN: 978-0-473-16493-5

It's the 10th Anniversary of this extraordinary project where initially I was the only European poet represented.

Images and information about the world's largest haiku park outside Japan:

http://area17.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-katikati-haiku-pathway-guidebook-is.html

Kala Ramesh, Special Guest of With Words and the London Haiku Group

2010-09-13T19:15:00.017+01:00

Sunday 12th September 2010, Royal Festival Hall

With Words and Special Guest Kala Ramesh (Pune, India) meet with the London Haiku Group.

Here Kala explains about raga in one of her many India inspired haiku.

Karen Hoy (With Words) gives a reading of her own special brand of haiku to the London Haiku Group.

A selection of photographs by Alan Summers and Frank Williams:

Kala Ramesh, With Words, and the London Haiku Group, Royal Festival Hall

The London Haiku Group; Alan Summers and Karen Hoy of With Words; Kala Ramesh; and Kalindi Kokal from Pune, India.

Kala Ramesh with Alan Summers and Karen Hoy of With Words

Frank Williams, Kala Ramesh, and Alan Summers listening into their conversation!

2010 WITH WORDS COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT

2010-08-24T01:55:00.000+01:00

WITH WORDS COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT

We are pleased to announce that the 2010 Words International Haiku Online Competition is now open: http://www.withwords.org.uk/comp.html

This year at the request of some entrants we will be announcing Highly
Commended and Commended authors rather than a longlist and shortlist.

Highly Commended poets will be given the option of having their haiku
published online.

Good luck to all of you entering our next international haiku
competition, and many thanks for your support.

Results of the competition in previous years can be read at:
http://www.withwords.org.uk/results.html

Alan, Karen & Kathy, With Words

Rose Hip Curry and the Sound of Poets Cooking - Book Release!

2010-08-18T23:43:00.004+01:00

The Sound of Poets Cooking

editor Richard Krawiec
Jacar Press, 2010, 172 pages
ISBN: 9780984574001

http://jacarpress.com/books.html#sopc

Featuring work by five dozen poets, including NC Poet Laureates Fred Chappell and Kathryn Stripling Byer, and dozens of other nationally celebrated writers. The poems alternate with recipes written by the poets, their family members, lovers and friends. The writing is at turns sensuous, hilarious, elegant, and playful. The recipes range from Asian, through European, to Middle Eastern dishes, as well as regional favorites from across the U.S.--tiramisu, homemade curry, vegetarian meals, exotic seafood, some simple, some complex. There is something here for every palate, literary and culinary.

Proceeds from the sales of this book will be used to fund writing workshops in excluded communities.
.

Click for review:

Review: The Independent, in Durham

"The first step in Alan Summers' Rosehip Curry recipe (yum!) is to write for several hours in a walled garden in direct sunlight."

Wild Goose Poetry review says:

"The Sound of Poets Cooking is a new, 172-page anthology of poems about food accompanied by related recipes, from Krawiec’s fledgling press, Jacar Press. And it is an impressive debut, featuring wonderful work from poets both familiar and new, including two NC Poets Laureate, Fred Chappell and Kathryn Stripling Byer ... and more, wrapped in a clever cover with an image of Buddha cradling a pomegranate, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potato, chef’s knife and some spiky yellow fruit I’m not familiar with, appealingly conveying the mixture of spirituality and whimsy one might expect from poetry about food."

North American Readings for 2010 and 2011

by Richard Krawiec and other poets

Oct 23, 3pm Greensboro Barnes and Noble,– Mark Smith-Soto Coordinator

Nov 6, Bookwalk Washington, NC – Marty Silverthrone

Nov 7, 3pm Quail Ridge Books Raleigh – Richard Krawiec

Nov 13, 7pm – Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill – Richard Krawiec

Nov 14, 3pm Malaprops, Asheville – Pat Riviere-Seel

Nov 18, 8pm ECU – John Hoppenthaler - Richard Krawiec if you want to carpool

Dec 3, 7pm – The Regulator – Richard Krawiec

Dec 10 (possibly) 6pm, Accent on Books, Asheville – Pat Riviere-Seel

2011

April 3, 3pm City Lights Books, Sylva, April Poetry Month kick-off – me for
now but someone else will be handling the local aspect

April 14, 7:30pm. Central Piedmont Community College Literary Festival,
Charlotte. This will be a big event, combined with culinary students there
cooking recipes – Richard Krawiec for now

April 23 all day event at Barton College, including readings, workshops, and
a concert by Fleur de Lisa – Richard Krawiec for now

Blast from the Past Haiku Residency; enjoy the video!

2010-08-16T18:16:00.006+01:00

Working with Sam and Emerson who helped create Ambidextrous (an undergraduate programme now adopted for every year) when they were undergraduates was a fantastic experience as Haiku poet-in-residence with Bath Spa University Undergraduate Development Project.

The whole project including my haiku residency was run by student organisation ambidextrous (Autumn 2006 - Summer 2007)

This was a number of haiku projects designed by me or Sam and Emerson:

· * haiku and renga workshops

· * mobile haiku walls for students and lecturers

· * 24 Hour Haiku Answering Phone

· * web-based media project (ArtsWork Bath Spa University)

* Final event Play On Words Festival (Newton Park Campus). (scroll down a little)

Video project, created 20 Nov 2006 by Ambidextrous and Soft C

Viewed 2827 times so far

An exploration of haiku for the modern day, featuring Britain's leading haiku expert Alan Summers.

Created in collaboration between two student arts groups - Ambidextrous and SOFT C.

Now enjoy the video!

http://tiny.cc/BathSpaHaiku

anatomy of a haiku

2010-08-13T19:04:00.008+01:00

1st Prize

Fellowship of Australian Writers 1995 Haiku Competition

dusk at the golf club

part of a marker pole

a tawny frogmouth

Alan Summers

Judge’s Report

This poem fulfils the criteria for a haiku in a number of ways. Haiku shuld be the result of an insightful moment when something links a human to nature.

The human element in this poem is strong, ‘dusk at the golf club’ : the writer is going inside. The day has ended. The tawny frogmouth is coming out; his night of searching for food is just beginning.

The centre line acts as a pivot for the first and third lines: the coming and going of two creatures who share the same territory.

The marker pole is important to both. It is the link between them. It guides the human and the frogmouth uses it as a perch from which to watch for prey

The human will probably go into the club house and prop on a stool to eat and drink. Is their behavior so different?

This haiku performs in the way in which a well-crafted haiku should – by leading the reader’s mind far beyond the words on the page.

Judge: Janice Bostok

Janice Bostok:

Janice is an internationally respected haiku writer and editor.

Hiroaki Sato's "Haiku and the Agonies of Translation" published in a Frogpond XXII supplement of theory and analysis in 1999, included 30 of Janice's haiku.

Hiroaki Sato also translated haiku of ozaki hosai in the book called: "Right Under the Big Sky, I Don't Wear a Hat" (Rock Spring Collection of Japanese Literature) [Paperback]

Tawny Frogmouth:

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tawny-Frogmouth