The highly regarded print journal, Presence, publishes haiku, tanka, haibun and other short-form poetry. Based in the UK, the journal has established a strong international following over many years.

Founded by Martin Lucas in 1996, Presence has benefited from a consistent editorial hand since its inception. Martin was editor until 2014, with Ian Storr being General Editor from then until 2025. In total, 81 issues of Presence were produced under just two editors (though, of course, each was supported by a team of sub-editors and contributors).

With Ian stepping down from his role, loyal readers of Presence might have wondered about the future of the journal. But not to worry, the editorial reins have passed to members of the Edinburgh Haiku Circle who’ve already produced Issues 82 and 83 of Presence.

The tanka below were published in Presence, Issue 83 (November 2025):

all my lovers
where have they gone
the chanteuse
drunk and forgotten
in a Pigalle hotel

Ruth Holzer

an abandoned
building . . .
I play with
the idea
of going missing

Alison Williams

The General Editors of Presence are now James Roderick Burns, Ken Cockburn and Becky Dwyer. The three are all members of the Edinburgh Haiku Circle which has been active since 2016.

The journal is in a strong position as James, Ken and Becky are assisted by other members of the Circle and by continuing support from Judy Kendall, Julie Mellor and Matthew Paul. Presence is therefore well placed to maintain its excellent reputation with the haiku community.

The new editors have continued the practice of presenting haiku, tanka, haibun, book reviews, essays and other features in each issue – and have indicated their ‘commitment to the Japanese-informed English-language haiku tradition championed by Martin Lucas and Ian Storr’. Hence, regular readers of the journal will be pleased with the continuity of content and style.

At the same time, the new editors have sought to freshen the look of the journal and have, of course, brought their own editorial preferences to the pages of Presence.

As a reader of short-form poetry, I thank the new team for ensuring Presence continues to be an important repository of contemporary haiku, tanka and haibun. And I congratulate them on retaining what is loved about the journal while also seeking ways to improve. I look forward to seeing how Presence evolves under their guidance in the future.

Here are three haiku from Issue 83:

autumn sun
a gang of grey clouds
just hanging about

Quendryth Young

prairie path
the tickle of thigh-high
wild rye

Sharon Martina

lone wolf
the lost art
of conversation

Gregory Piko

Presence appears three times per year with each issue featuring writers from the UK and around the world. Presence offers poetry that’s a pleasure to read and essays that add to our understanding of Japanese poetic genres. If you would like to subscribe to Presence you can do so by clicking this link. And if you would like to submit writing for a future issue of Presence you can find the submission guidelines here.