Kokako is a highly regarded journal of haiku, tanka, haibun and related genres based in Aotearoa New Zealand. After having been produced in print form for many years, Kokako is transitioning to an online format. The final print edition of Kokako, Issue 40, was released in April 2024. Here are some poems from that Issue:… Read More Kokako goes online
Lorraine Haig’s first collection of haiku, Curving into Light, follows her two earlier poetry collections: Ocean of Sky (2014) and Paddling the Canoe (2021). Curving into Light was released by Forty South Publishing in 2023. Lorraine’s haiku are drawn from her travels throughout Australia, including her home state of Tasmania. They reflect her love of… Read More Lorraine Haig: Curving into Light
The Koto City Basho Museum conducts an annual contest known as the Basho-an International English Haiku Competition. The famous Japanese haiku poet, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), moved to what was then the outskirts of Tokyo in 1680, where he lived in a rustic hut built by his disciples. From that time forward, Basho took his name… Read More 6th Basho-an International English Haiku Competition
Marietta McGregor is a Canberra-based poet who has received awards for her haiku, haiga and haibun. Her haibun credits include winning both the UHTS Samurai Haibun Contest and the British Haibun Award. As a retired botanist and science writer, Marietta writes knowledgably about plants, animals and the natural environment. Being a keen photographer, her writing… Read More Marietta McGregor: Haibun
Edward Hopper (1882-1967) was an American realist painter. Many of his paintings feature subdued urban scenes containing one or two figures in a contemplative pose. A Hopper painting often conveys a sense that the image is merely one scene within a larger a story that’s unfolding, or about to unfold. Given the narrative quality of… Read More All the World’s a Stage
Catchment – Poetry of Place is an online literary journal based in the West Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. The journal has been established under the auspices of the Baw Baw Arts Alliance and is edited by Rodney Williams with the assistance of Jennifer Fell and others. The first edition of the journal was released… Read More Catchment – Poetry of Place
I always enjoy seeing Australian writers receive awards in international haiku competitions. So, it was pleasing to find the Australian contingent had made such a strong showing in the 2023 International Haiku Competition conducted by the Irish Haiku Society. The Society runs the competition annually, with the 2023 contest having been judged by their founding… Read More 2023 Irish Haiku Competition
K’gari (pronounced Gurri) is the largest sand island in the world. Located in Queensland, Australia, the island comprises long, sandy beaches, coastal heaths, woodland and freshwater lakes. K’gari is part of the traditional lands of the Butchulla people. You can read the K’gari creation story, as told by the Butchulla people, here. Essentially, Princess K’gari… Read More Haiku of Place: K’gari
Gregory Piko 