Residential Week-end Course just outside London: The Holistic Approach to haiku: self-development through poetry with Alan Summers

We have a wonderful group of people that have booked up, with some more enquiries that Claridge House are answering.
Look forward to seeing everyone over tea/coffee and biscuits (plus a wider range of hot refreshments, cordials etc...)
when we all meet up for the first time, and first day of the weekend course. 
 

Residential Week-end Course just outside London:

The Holistic Approach to haiku:
self-development through poetry
with Alan Summers

Friday to Sunday 21st- 23rd February 2014
Claridge House
Dormans Road, Lingfield, Surrey, RH7 6QH
Registered Charity no. 228102.

ENQUIRIES
Tel.  0845 345 7281 or 01342 832 150
Email:  welcome@claridgehousequaker.org.uk

You can phone Claridge House to ask about the course, and they'll have an info sheet I designed for them, so they can answer your questions about haiku poetry: 

0845 345 7281
or
01342 832 150

A friendly inclusive course that finds out just what makes a haiku poem really tick.  We'll look at how our experiences, both external and spiritual, can become haiku, and act as important records of our life.

There will be time for plenty of one-to-one feedback, and group discussions with lots of time for questions.

Plus there will be a debut of a number of new approaches to haiku to help both newcomers and those still learning.    A lot has happened with haiku in the last handful of years, and I'll show how we keep the traditional form but in Japanese style update it at the same time.

We'll also check out the popular new Yotsumonos derived from Chinese puzzle-poems for fun, and finish the course with the ever popular linked verse poem called renga.

Here’s the schedule of participation time from last time including:
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/haiku-holistic-approach-week-end.html

meal breaks, rest breaks, tea, coffee and scrumptious cake and biscuit breaks, oh you lucky people, the food and refreshments are out of this world and available for those who are non-gluten, non-wheat, non-dairy, and vegetarian and vegan diets.

I love all the diets provided, and diet means lots of food if you want, but beware second and third helpings are addictive.

For more information:
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/haiku-holistic-approach-week-end.html



ALAN's BIO
Alan Summers is a Japan Times award-winning writer and was awarded a Ritsumeikan University of Kyoto Peace Museum Award for haiku.

More bio details: http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/london-haiku-poetry-event-plus-south.html

We also run:

Online Haiku Courses, tanka, and other genres:

We also run our regular and popular online With Words courses in haiku and tanka. 

For further details contact Karen at: karen@withwords.org.uk



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Renku poetry: A Cup of Snow - One of the earliest examples of the rokku form in English.

© 2013 Haiku Society of America
direct link: http://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/2013-issue36-2/renku.html

A Cup of Snow

by

Hortensia Anderson, New York, New York
John E. Carley, Lancashire, England (sabaki)
Alan Summers, London, England
Carole MacRury, Point Roberts, Washington
Michael Dylan Welch, Sammamish, Washington

laughing with delight

a cup of snow

a moon-eyed girl           

John

half gone, the last jar

of ginger jam      

Carole

roadside shop

the chain-saw artist

asks me my sign          

Michael

a faint glow in the sky

before sunset          

Alan

first chill night

the smell of cedar

in the quilts       

Hortensia

tic by toc

the leaves begin to fall

John

***

           

dab, dab, dabbing

at her cards the old lady

yells “bingo!”       

Carole

a mosquito bite

on the toddler’s cheek        

Michael

their second date

she drinks him

under the table    

Alan

we roll with the waves

of the water bed       

Hortensia

and bathe eche veyne

in swich licour

of which engenderé́d . . .  

John

the scent of wild rose

in the birthing suite   

Carole

***

           

deepening depression

the telephone

stops ringing      

Michael

a late-night diner

the hum of the fridge       

Alan

constant as the

poverty of poets

autumn moon         

John

three generations

peddling fallen walnuts    

Carole

leftover candy

the pumpkin’s toothy grin

starts to sag        

Michael

candle wax obscuring

the way of light     

Hortensia

***

      

tamarisk honey

the el-tarfah of dry tears        

Alan

with each breath

the desert’s fire and dust         

Carole

searching for an airplane

without wings       

John

                     affair the after

way wrong the home coming       

Michael

each snowflake different

his wife’s kiss       

Hortensia

the lack of a sharp knife

and a whetstone        

Alan

***

           

abattoir—

the apathetic gaze

of man and beast     

Carole

from rock to rock

the grizzly’s nose      

Michael

the sniper scope

adjusted

on the Canon Sure Shot       

Alan

fighting through the shed

to reach the mower      

John

we fill our pails

with plum blossoms

and then?           

Hortensia

the spring dawn

spills down the mountain

Carole

Notes

el-tarfah ~ The manna of the Sinaitic peninsula is an exudation from the “manna-tamarisk” tree (Tamarix mannifera), the el-tarfah of the Arabs. At night it is fluid and resembles dew, but in the morning it begins to harden. The Arabs use it like honey or butter with their unleavened bread.

and bathe eche veyne/in swich licour/of which engenderéd . . .
~This verse is in Middle English. It is taken from the second couplet of the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, generally dated between 1340 and 1370. As with all texts of this antiquity there are many variants. A recent, re-versified translation by A.S. Kline gives the full couplet as:

And bathed each vein with liquor of such power
That engendered from it is the flower

Afterword
John E. Carley

“A Cup of Snow,” written by e-mail in the first months of 2008, is one of the earliest examples of the rokku form in English. The rokku is a mold-breaking type of renku sequence originated in the early years of this century by the Japanese poet and critic Haku Asanuma. 

The form is modular rather than having a set length, permitting as many verse movements as the participants wish to complete, up to six. Season and seasonality are important, but not in a structural manner; the same is true for moon and blossom verses. A high rate of change is guaranteed as nothing may endure for more than two verses. 

Also, the penultimate movement of any rokku is inclined towards experimentation. I served as sabaki, but the renku effectively wrote itself, the very different personal styles of the participants being vital to the effort to break new ground. Sadly, one of us is no longer present, though her writing, as ever, stands out from the page. So we dedicate this renku to Hortensia Anderson, who passed away in May of 2012.

Hortensia Anderson

June 24, 1959 – May 21, 2012

Her book:
The Plenitude of Emptiness
hortensia anderson : collected haibun
with an introduction by Jim Kacian

“I have my copy already dog-eared and it is brand new! The haibun are potent and profoundly moving. This is a must-read. Get this book!” —Denis M. Garrison, poet, writer, editor, publisher: The MET Press

“I have tried to read Hortensia’s haibun with a critical discerning eye but I cannot. Again and always, the flow of her words and the intense images they allow me to create pull me under and away into a riptide of emotions.” —Jane Reichhold, poet, writer, editor, publisher: AHA Books

“The term ‘essential reading’ is horribly overused, but this book really is essential reading for anyone interested in writing the best, direct, real haibun being written today.” —Alan Summers, renga poet-in-residence for the City of Hull

The Plentitude of Emptiness:
 
http://www.darlingtonrichards.com/index.php/updates/preview-of-the-plenitude-of-emptiness-by-hortensia-anderson/

http://www.lulu.com/shop/hortensia-anderson/the-plenitude-of-emptiness/paperback/product-10293919.html;jsessionid=F211C07FB1AB7624791D6636E2A574CA

'
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Become Well-Versed in Haiku a Skills³ Haiku Course by Alan Summers at Wiltshire College, Trowbridge Campus

Become Well-Versed in Haiku 

a Skills³ Haiku Course by Alan Summers at Wiltshire College, Trowbridge Campus

Buy before 18 Aug 2012 and save £5.00
http://www.skills3.co.uk/experiences/detail.aspx?ref=CHAIKU&year=12%2f13

Wiltshire Colleges, Trowbridge Campus
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wstan/wiltshire-college-trowbridge.htm

A marvellous opportunity to learn about haiku and stretch those haiku muscles if you get the bug to write your own, or increase your knowledge of haiku if you've already started.

This course is designed for those considering learning a new skill; finding a new adventure; or new aspects they didn't know about themselves; for self-development; wanting to go further into haiku or tanka poetry; or consolidating their start into all types of poetry by trying haiku or tanka first.

Some of the aspects included in the haiku course:

An introduction to how haiku originated in Japan and is written throughout the world today.

The various styles of haiku inside and outside Japan.

A number of tools and techniques to your own contemporary haiku.

How to keep a Haiku Journal. 

How to catch the eye of haiku editors and publishers for those of you interested in pursuing that avenue.

I will also touch on forms related to haiku such as tanka, and the fun and interactive group poem called renga. 

All routes lead easily to Trowbridge:

N.B.
See further down for more details and maps on how to get to Trowbridge Campus.

 
Quotes from previous workshop participants:

"You have a very gentle and encouraging way with the students – and you have been generous with your time in giving them deep and positive comments!" Isabelle, Ireland

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

"You have a remarkable talent for touching and enriching people’s lives."     Mark, London 2009

"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, Bristol (2010)


"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.

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."  Frances, 2011-2012



Trowbridge Campus
http://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/trowbridge/

The College's largest campus is situated in a largely residential area on the outskirts of the town about one mile from the town centre. Trowbridge is the rapidly expanding county town of Wiltshire and is a well-established manufacturing and service centre set in the growth corridor between the M4 (15 miles) and the A36 and is surrounded by areas of outstanding natural beauty. The centre of the busy town is within easy reach. The historic town of Bradford-on-Avon and the city of Bath are just a short bus or train ride away.

Trowbridge is a friendly and lively campus to study at. There is always a lot to do with the student common room at the centre of student activities. Cafés and a restaurant provide meals throughout the day; there is a large Learning Resource centre, hair and beauty salons, a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) centre and dedicated studio space for our Arts students.

Trowbridge campus contact and maps:
http://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/trowbridge/contacts_trowbridge.asp
http://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/trowbridge/map.asp

Campus map:
http://www.wiltshire.ac.uk/trowbridge/trowbridge_centre.pdf


About Skills³
Skills³ is a new range of skills' experiences from Wiltshire College.

You could change your life in just one day by:

    Learning a new hobby or developing a new interest
    Challenging yourself to improve your existing skills for fun or work
    Meet new people who share the same interests as you or will do after the day
    Develop professional skills that will enhance your career prospects or change your career altogether


So much more than a course - all Skills³ experiences include lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Who are Skills³?
All the experiences offered through Skills³ will be delivered by professional and highly experienced tutors.

Skills³ is supported by the expertise of Wiltshire College. The county of Wiltshire's leading provider of adult training and learning.

Why Skills³?
Practical, Flexible, Fast experience days for you and your friends to enjoy; whether you’re looking to improve on existing skills or you simply want to have some fun, Skills3 have an experience day waiting for you!

The Skills3 online community - you will have the opportunity to “meet” your fellow ‘cubees’ online before you attend and your instructor will contact you in advance so you feel relaxed and comfortable on arrival. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for you to leave your feedback online.

Can a day really change your life? Try one and see!

Buy before 18 Aug 2012 and save £5.00
http://www.skills3.co.uk/experiences/detail.aspx?ref=CHAIKU&year=12%2f13

Alan Summers, is a Japan Times award-winning writer, and recipient of a Ritsumeikan University of Kyoto Peace Museum Award for haiku.

He has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University; and is a past General Secretary of the British Haiku Society.

Alan is an experienced workshop leader, and editor, in haiku and other haikai literature disciplines, and appeared in literary festivals, and readings, all over Britain. 

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

As well as being published in over 75 anthologies, and translated into 15 languages, Alan has his own work in collections, and co-edited a number of anthologies himself.

Haiku Collections:
The In-Between Season (With Words Pamphlet Series 2012); Sundog Haiku Journal: an Australian Year (Sunfast Press 1997 reprinted 1998); Moonlighting British Haiku Society Pamphlet (1996).

A new collection of experimental haiku and short verse poetry is forthcoming this Autumn.

Anthology Co-Editor:
Parade of Life: Poems inspired by Japanese Prints ISBN: 09539234-2-8  (Poetry Can/Bristol Museum and Art Gallery/Japan21 2002); The Poetic Image - Haiku and Photography (Birmingham Words/ National Academy of Writing Pamphlet 2006); Fifty-Seven Damn Good Haiku by a Bunch of Our Friends published by Press Here ISBN 978-1-878798-31-2  (2010 USA); Four Virtual Haiku Poets (YTBN Press 2012)
 
An anthology showcasing new British, American and other writers in haiku is forthcoming late Autumn.

With Words runs regular and popular online courses in haiku, tanka and other related poetry.

Please don't hesitate to contact Karen for further information: karen@withwords.org.uk

 

.

.

University of Winchester and Notes from the Gean haiku journal present a haiku; haiga; and renku weekend

Haiku/Renga Weekend

There is going to be a haiku/renga weekend at the University of Winchester on Sat 4th and Sun 5th of August, sponsored by the University and hosted by Mark Rutter and the poets of Notes From the Gean on the Road: Alan Summers, Alison Williams, Colin Stewart Jones, and Andy Pomphrey.

There will be haiga (haiku and image) and linked verse workshops and a ginko (haiku walk) in the Winchester watermeadows, where Keats wrote ‘To Autumn.’  All events except the ginko will be held in Stripe Studio 2, in the Stripe Building, University of Winchester.

• Saturday August 4th: 10am: We will meet in Stripe Studio 2, followed by a ginko in the Winchester water meadows (bring camera as well as writing pad, pen, etc).

• Sunday August 5th: 10am: Stripe Studio 2: morning: haiga workshop; afternoon: renga workshop.

Anyone interested in taking part can contact Mark Rutter at mark.rutter@winchester.ac.uk or  flyingsaucers@btinternet.com.

All events are free and all are welcome.

A number of us are British Haiku Society members, and with the extra opportunity of talking to Notes from the Gean haiku journal Editor in Chief, and owner of the Geantree Press, Colin Stewart Jones, from Aberdeen, Scotland, and previous British Haiku Society haiku magazine editor Mark Rutter, this is really a rare chance for anyone wanting to know more about haiku publications, and the art of haiga, haiku, renga/renku, and haibun prose.

 
University of Winchester weblink:
http://www.winchester.ac.uk/ACADEMICDEPARTMENTS/ENGLISHCREATIVEWRITINGANDAMERICANSTUDIES/NEWSANDEVENTS/Pages/NewsandEvents.aspx

The Winchester Watermeadows haiku walk will be a stunning opportunity to walk where Keats wrote 'To Autumn' and also take part in a traditional Japanese custom in haiku poetry.


Saturday August 4th: 10am: We first meet in Stripe Studio 2, followed by a ginko in the Winchester water meadows (bring camera as well as writing pad, pen, etc).

http://www.lymington.org/placestovisit/winchester.html

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Renga Days with Japan Times award-winning writer Alan Summers, with haiku writer Jann Wirtz of Devon

Renga Days in glorious Devon at the Broomhill Arts Hotel:

Where to find Broomhill Arts Hotel:

http://broomhillart.co.uk/information/findingus.html

The Sculpture Gardens:

http://broomhillart.co.uk/sculpturegardens/index.html

What they say about Broomhill Arts Hotel:

http://broomhillart.co.uk/information/what-they-say.html

Contact and information details for the Broomhill Arts Hotel:

http://broomhillart.co.uk/information/contactus.html

This is a great fun inclusive ice-breaking activity, and a way to make friends, and crack a few jokes at the same time as learning one of the most famous of all poetry forms, yet one of the most mysterious.

What is Renga?
 

 

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

Renga is simply writing incredibly short lines (2 or 3 line verses) with almost teasingly invisible connections to each verse.

When completed everyone is a co-author of the renga poem.

For anyone new to renga, we'd love to receive your "micro-memories", whether childhood memories, or very recent memories.

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

The cost is only £4.50 entry to the Sculpture Garden:

http://www.broomhillart.co.uk/sculpturegardens/index.html  

More about Renga

Of all the ‘poetic forms’ this is one that works for people who have never written before, and yet offers a great challenge for those who are already comfortable and established writers.

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.

Welcome to Barnstaple Tourist Information Centre for accomodation details etc... http://www.staynorthdevon.co.uk/

Make this an even longer stay and visit other places:

http://www.broomhillart.co.uk/information/around.html

Alan Summers has been writing haiku and renga for twenty years and as a Japan Times award-winning writer for renga and haiku poetry (haiku evolved from being a renga poem’s ‘starting verse’) he felt renga was ideal for a creative writing event that involved people who might feel they are not poets.

More about Alan Summers

Alan Summers has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University; founder and director of With Words; and a Japan Times award-winning writer for renga and haiku.

He has ran workshops at the Royal Festival Hall (London), with Japan-UK 150 and the Thames Festival. 

Alan is regularly published in Japanese magazines & anthologies; and newspapers such as Yomiuri Shimbun; and Mainichi Daily News, Tokyo, Japan.

Alan with some renga busting verses.

More information:

http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/renga-days-with-alan-summers-and-jann.html

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The new issue of haijinx is out!

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

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

"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.


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Larkin on Living Review

Review of the Larkin on Living event with a mention of the Hull Global Reading.

Larkin and all that jazz:

http://hyperfruit.net/2010/08/larkin-and-all-that-jazz/

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Harinezumi-san and the Speckled River : newly published renga at 3Lights Gallery

.

Renga by Helen Buckingham and Alan Summers

weblink:

Harinezumi-san and the Speckled River renga

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Into Sunlight : the unfinished renga

Into Sunlight : the unfinished renga


into tropical air
rainbow lorikeets—
a mango restaurant closed


temperate cardinal
chipping his latin beat


at 45 degrees
the driving rain
filling a beggar’s bowl


these evening showers
in a field of bare trees


the clouds turn green
when snared on eucalyptus

the sacred ibis


raising its wide wings
exposing a sunrise


pointing eastwards
twitching in a dream
the dog’s paws


chasing ruddy deer
through rainbows


morning’s warm moist air
curls around my legs
unseen caress


river reeds rustling
someone comes through the shadow


a dozen crows fly
above the lone cyclist
sparrow on a branch


listening to wind blow
where does it come from?


filling a white sail
bending a tree


holding ancient forms
roots seeking clear waters
under the earth


above the street & stark trees
a gap in clouds: the moon


gentle light bathes
the opened chrysalis
strange new light


in the distance
sacred ibis rise from grass


sudden thunder
a black butterfly flitting
from flower to flower


broken cobweb
a moth flies away


dream changes
on my pillow
black and blue dust


mudprints
across a white bedsheet


the shroud
of a child
before cremation


dirt and dew
glistening pumpkins


stones for the cairn
above the cardinal
claims his old branch


turning, a smile seen
night draws in


so far away
in the deepest darkness
a beacon on the hill


candle out
the sizzle of saliva on fingers


pointing the thread
only the hole can receive
for the needle


unravelled into the wind
kite of many ghosts

first flight
after the broken wing healed

Alan Summers ◊ England
Merrill Ann Gonzales ◊ United States

Publications:
 
Azami magazine  (Osaka, Japan)  'unfinished renga' Into Sunlight  (1998)

snow on the water  

Red Moon Anthology ISBN 0-9657818-8-7  “unfinished renga” (1998)

snow on the water: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku 1998, edited by Jim Kacian and the Red Moon Editorial Staff.

This anthology was also a Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award Winner.  

"snow on the water continues the tradition of the most celebrated serial book of haiku in the world. 146 poems, 20 other pieces as selected by 11 of the best haiku poets from around the world."

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Hull Global Renga call out!

 

Hull Global Renga

Alan Summers as renga poet-in-residence for the City of Hull:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_upon_Hull
http://hullglobalrenga.blogspot.com

We would love to hear from:

  * people living in Hull.
  * Born in Hull now living elsewhere or abroad.
  * people who have either visited, or worked in Hull.

Hull

is a glorious city despite its poverty levels, and has possibly the friendliest people in Britain.

Part of the Hull Global Renga Project is to promote both the hard work carried out by Hull Libraries for its people and schools; and to show that Hull is a city worth visiting.

There are few places left where you can spend a much needed holiday or short break without being pressured as a tourist.  In Hull you can truly relax, with access to great places both in the city and nearby.

If you feel you can't write a renga verse of 2 or 3 short line duration, please do send an anecdote or brief account of your time spent in Hull.

The Hull Global Renga email: hullrenga@withwords.org.uk

  

The Hull Global Renga Logo

Design by Rory Walker, commissioned by Alan Summers for Hull Libraries.

What is Renga?

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

Renga is simply writing incredibly short lines (2 or 3 line verses) with almost teasingly invisible connections to each verse.  

When completed everyone is a co-author of the renga poem.

For anyone new to renga, we'd love to receive your "micro-memories" of Hull, whether childhood memories, or very recent memories.

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

More about Renga

Of all the ‘poetic forms’ this is one that works for people who have never written before, and yet offers a great challenge for those who are already comfortable and established writers.

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.

Alan Summers has been writing haiku and renga for almost twenty years and as a Japan Times award-winning writer for renga and haiku poetry (haiku evolved from being a renga poem’s ‘starting verse’) he felt renga was ideal for a creative writing event that involved people who might feel they are not poets.

The aim

During the project from June - December 2010 both the central and branch libraries will display renga verses; and that a sense of achievement will be given to the local community through the Press; workshops and activities; displays and readings; and an interest developed for Japanese culture.

Towards the end of the residency a finished renga poem will be available as an eBook on both the With Words website and on the Hull Libraries website, as well as a printed reference book in Hull Central Library.

Alan Summers

Alan Summers has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University; founder and director of With Words; a Japan Times award-winning writer for renga and haiku.

He has been a Visiting Tutor with the nationally acclaimed The Poetry School; ran workshops at the Royal Festival Hall (London), with Japan-UK 150 and the Thames Festival.  He has run renga events at various libraries over the years.

Alan is regularly published in Japanese magazines & anthologies; and newspapers such as Yomiuri Shimbun; and Mainichi Daily News, Tokyo, Japan.

As an editor of renga and haiku magazines he studies Classic, Modern, and Contemporary Japanese haiku (and Western haiku); writes and performs haiku and renga, as well as organising haiku and renga events around Britain.

Alan has a CRB Enhanced Disclosure Certificate (April 2010) registered with the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) and full world cover public liability insurance cover up to Five Million Pounds Sterling.

Alan Summers

email: hullrenga@withwords.org.uk
Hull Global Renga: http://hullglobalrenga.blogspot.com

With Words: www.withwords.org.uk

With Words Events blog:  http://area17.blogspot.com

The James Reckitt Library Trust