Dates for the next online haiku & tanka courses in 2014

With Words regularly run online courses:

Online Tanka courses; Online Haiku courses;
Haibun and Tanka Prose courses; as well as a range of introductory, intermediate, and advanced group or one-to-one online courses and feedback.

Enquiries about the courses and our "early bird"rate if paying at least a month in advance can be answered by Karen at: karen@withwords.org.uk

Here is some feedback from our first tanka course, which finished at the end of last year:

"Thank you for your feed back. You make things seem so clear ...  So enjoyed reading the others' work too."  
Margaret Beverland (permission given)

"I have enjoyed the course tremendously and know that I will return to Alan's notes frequently as I continue to write tanka."  
Jan Harris (permission given)



Tanka are well-grounded in concrete images yet infused with lyric intensity, and an intimacy from direct expression of emotion tempered with implication. Tanka contain ingredients of suggestion colored by shade and tone, setting off a nuance more potent than direct statement. Almost any subject, explicitly expressing your direct thoughts and feelings can be contained in this short form poetry. 

Alan Summers, 
Decoding Tanka (Extract from Article in Progress)

Haiku: (plural and singular spelling)

The shortest of all short poems, yet containing enough that the result leaves enough for the reader to create a longer poem for themselves.

• Haiku (plural and singular spelling) are usually made up of three short lines in a short, long, short line order. They can be read out loud in about six seconds. 
• They're written in the present tense, in ordinary language, and work well including two different images that although are side by side, they spark off each other, creating new possibilities.
• Almost any subject can be caught by haiku. 
• Haiku are not sayings, opinion, aphorisms, or any other type of statement about how life is. 
• Haiku don't tell, lead, or instruct the reader what to think or feel; a haiku gives neutral facts (concrete images) that the writer has observed.
• The presentation of a partnership between two images allows the reader to reach their own conclusions about what the poem is describing, not the poet's viewpoint. The reader is an equal partner to the writer, and is the person who completes the poem.

Alan Summers, Writing Poetry: the haiku way (Extract from the Book in Progress) 

An updated biography of Alan Summers, lead tutor of With Words can be read at the following weblink, scroll down: 
http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/entry-details-that-wed-like-for-haiku.html

To find out more about what the courses involve and how they run, please email karen@withwords.org.uk for an information sheet and quotes from participants who have taken the courses over the years.

Many thanks!

Karen at With Words


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Haiku and Tanka online workshops by Alan Summers

Hi, I'm Alan Summers, and our online haiku and tanka workshops are designed for those considering learning a new skill; a new adventure; 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.  

You might also be interested in haibun or tanka stories (prose with haiku or tanka)?

Check out our most recent online classes for:
https://www.callofthepage.org/learning/ 

Or email Karen at: admin@callofthepage.org for the latest news and courses.

Check out our past online classes for haiku and tanka:  http://area17.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/call-of-page-online-courses-passion-of.html

Tanka are five line love poems, with a turn not unlike the longer Sonnet.

Haiku are usually three very short line poems, that rely on evoking emotions through concrete images.

There is a lot more to these two genres than the simple description, and many themes and approaches are allowed in these poems, to match your own style.

There is something for everybody.

FFI
Whether for bookings or for further information, please do not hesitate to contact Karen who will be delighted to give you answers to your questions.

Karen's email: admin@callofthepage.org

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:

“Does Fish-God Know” (YTBN Press 2012)
“A must-have book for any haiku fan.”
Tracey Kelly, Chicago/Bath musician and journalist
 
“Thank you for writing such a vital work.”
Paul David Mena, author of Tenement Landscapes (New York) published by Happa-no-Kofu (The Leaf-Miner Press) just after September 11 2001
 
“The In-Between Season”
With Words Pamphlet Series (2012)
 
“Sundog Haiku Journal: an Australian Year”
(Sunfast Press 1997 reprinted 1998) California State Library - Main Catalog Call Number: HAIKU S852su 1997
 
“Moonlighting”
British Haiku Society Intimations Pamphlet Series (1996)

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); C.2.2. anthology of short verse and haiku (YTBN Press 2013).

Parade of Life Co-editors: Paul Conneally; Alan Summers; and Kate Newham

Quotes from workshop participants:

This was the first online class I have ever taken and I have thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for providing the opportunity and for making it affordable. I learned so much and integrated a lot of what I learned.

Alan is a fantastic teacher, as you already know. I would love to take another course with Alan.  

A B (March 2013)

"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."  FT 2011-2012

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