Canberra poet and musicologist, Hazel Hall, has published a collection of poems exploring the possibilities of the sonnet; from traditional forms to poems that may not be sonnets at all. Her book, titled A Hint of Rosemary, is published by Interactive Press. Hazel says ‘I’ve always maintained that the spoken word is part of the… Read More Hazel Hall: A Hint of Rosemary
Earlier in 2024, the journal Presence (UK) published a haiku of mine about a man and his dog. It seems people enjoy haiku about dogs and puppies as the haiku was subsequently voted among the top 10 in the Best of Issue Award (it actually placed 6th). The haiku that appeared in Presence was: his… Read More Dogs and Puppies
Sheila Sondik is a printmaker, painter and poet from the State of Washington in the USA. Her collection of poems, Lighting Up the Duff, was published by The Poetry Box in 2024. Sheila writes with wonderful rhythm and expression. There are so many engaging turns of phrase in her poetry. Here are the opening lines… Read More Sheila Sondik: Lighting Up the Duff
The second Haiku Down Under conference was held via Zoom from 16-18 August 2024. Congratulations to the organising team for putting on such a successful event. The theme for this year’s conference was A Sensory Journey. Two presentations on exactly this theme were Going in Blind by Sandra Simpson from New Zealand and Five Senses… Read More Haiku Down Under 2024: A Sensory Journey
Kiyoko Ogawa’s book Songs for Spirits: A Selection of Tanka, Haiku and Haibun was published by Taibowsha Corporation in 2022. The collection features 59 tanka, 11 haiku and 3 haibun plus the notation for two musical compositions. The tanka and haiku are presented in both Japanese and English while the haibun are presented in English… Read More Kiyoko Ogawa: Songs for Spirits
Edition 2 of the online journal Catchment – Poetry of Place was published in June 2024. Catchment publishes tanka and longer poems that convey a sense of location. Many of the poems are inspired by scenes and experiences within Australia, though there are always a number of poems relating to other countries. I was pleased… Read More Catchment – Poetry of Place: Edition 2
The second Haiku Down Under conference will take place via Zoom on 16-18 August 2024. The conference provides an opportunity for writers from New Zealand and Australia to discuss haiku and related subjects through presentations, workshops, poetry readings, writing sessions and engagement with poets from other countries. Haiku Down Under 2024 is being organised by… Read More How to Register for Haiku Down Under 2024
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
Gregory Piko 