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Cyril Childs  1941-2012

Cyril passed away on the evening of January 27 in Dunedin's hospice, surrounded by his family. He had been diagnosed with cancer in November.

His son Norris says that he had mostly been in the hospice (with some visits home) for his last week. "He was very peaceful and settled at the end. There was no suffering," Norris says.

Cyril's funeral was held in Dunedin on February 1. Sophia Frentz attended on behalf of the haiku community and read a piece about Cyril's haiku accomplishments, written by Sandra Simpson at his family's request. The reading is posted at the bottom of the tributes page (see below).

Kia kaha, Christine, Lia and Norris. Our thoughts are with you all.

Tributes from Cyril's fellow poets are on this page, while Cyril's Showcase page entry is here.

I stand at its edge ...
this great green river sliding
on to its past

- Cyril Childs, Kokako 7, 2007

Haiku Festival Aotearoa

A reminder from the organisers that registrations from live-in delegates are due by the end of February (although sooner would be better than later). The June 15-17 festival in Tauranga features tuition from American writer/editor/publisher Jim Kacian who will be taking 2 master classes (one on haiku, one on haibun). As well, there will be workshops by Owen Bullock (performing haiku), Dr Lawrence Marceau (the haibun of Yokoi Yayu) and Sandra Simpson (introduction to renku). The weekend also includes a trip to the Haiku Pathway in Katikati. For more information and a registration form see the website or email Sandra.

Stop press: Tutor Tony Beyer has had to withdraw from the festival ... and Beverley George, editor of Eucalypt tanka journal, is stepping into his place and will take a workshop on tanka. Beverley is a past president of HaikuOz and an award-winning poet. We are very fortunate to have her join the festival line-up.

The World's Top Ten Haiku Poets (in English)?

Simply Haiku editors Robert Wilson and Sasa Vazic have produced a list of poets they consider to be the best writing in English. No doubt every reader will have his or her own thoughts on the results and the comments therein. Provocative? Certainly. Worth a look? Definitely.

'The 21st Century's First Haiku Master'

That grand claim is made by Robert Wilson, co-editor of Simply Haiku, on behalf of the late Svetlana Marisova, a New Zealander of Russian birth who passed away last year at the age of 21. Read why he thinks so here. A copy of the book by Svetlana and Ted van Zutphen, Be Still and Know, is available to read free online here.

Publisher Hansha Teki of Wellington (Karakia Press) advises that a full-colour paperback edition is available for purchase from this website and from Amazon at $US25 a copy, ISBN 978-0-473-19515-1. It may also be downloaded as an eBook at Karakia Press for $US1.

"Svetlana's blog has been set up as a repository of her writing with regular additions. This may be viewed here. Much of her work is also available at a website she and Ted van Zutphen set up over a year ago," Hansha writes.

Poems in the Waiting Room

Ruth Arnison, Dunedin-based co-ordinator of Poems in the Waiting Room (which regularly features haiku), reports that the autumn edition of the pamphlet will be distributed throughout the South Island for the first time (Canterbury was the last bastion). The autumn edition features a haiku by Cyril Childs. Read more here.

Just a Suggestion ...

A heartfelt plea from a rejected tanka poet.

Issa, read by Robert Hass

The Tuesday Poem website has chosen haiku, specifically several by Issa, for its posting on January 17. There's a short YouTube video of Robert Hass, who translated a book of Issa's work, reading a selection. The reaction of the audience is wonderful. There's also a link to a short film that features well-known American writers talking about haiku. Unfortunately, none of them are identified, but among the number are Jim Kacian, coming to New Zealand in June for Haiku Festival Aotearoa, and Roberta Beary.

New BOP Publishing Co-operative

Oceanbooks, a new co-operative publishing venture for Bay of Plenty writers, is seeking shareholders. Oceanbooks aims to publish and market books in both print and digital media.

"All shareholdings are equal in value at $100 for 100 shares. This gains shareholder participation in the co-operative. It does not guarantee publishing, because there must be a quality assessment process to go through. We aim to return some 75% of sales income from e-books and 75% of profit after costs of hard copy publications to the author. You receive your profit from your sales."

For more information see the website or email Jenny Argante, editor in chief.

National Haiku Writing Month (US)

February has been designated NaHaiWriMo in the US and after last year's successful inaugural event, they're doing it again. Writers from outside the US are welcome to participate in the challenge to write a haiku a day. Go here for more information.

Road Safety - the Haiku Way

New York City is trying to get its road safety messages across with kerbside "haiku" signs (yes, they're in 17 syllables). Read a report about it here. Thanks to Ruth Arnison for the link.

Haiku iPad app

Chasing Fireflies: a Haiku Collection is a new app for iPads that features more than 150 poems by the Japanese masters, plus an original score and a cover that changes each week. Read all about it here.

Journal News

1: Presence will now publish (approximately) twice a year instead of three times, editor Martin Lucas reports. "There is no defined schedule - #45 is due out any day now, so reasonable to anticipate #46 in June/July, but nothing guaranteed," he says. "Subs remain payable for 3 issues as before, it's just that this will cover 18 months rather than a single year. Anyone already subscribed up to #46 or beyond should not renew until they receive #46, as sub arrangements may change at that point."

2: Famous Reporter will not be publishing haiku after the next, very delayed, issue (#43), which should have been out in June but is now due in February. Lyn Reeves has been haiku editor for the journal for 18 years (has been the only haiku editor and overseen 36 issues, 3 with guest editors). Lyn reports that she has just completed an MA in Creative Writing and has a series of stories she wants to extend to novel, or novella, length. Famous Reporter is likely to continue, Lyn says, albeit with a new editorial team, and will concentrate on essays and some poetry (but not haiku).

3: Magnapoets is on hiatus until 2013, according to the website.

4: Haiku News (the other one) is back after a longer-than-expected hiatus. "As often happens, life got in the way and forced us to prioritize other things," co-editor Dick Whyte says. "However, we are ready to begin 2012 with a new vision and commitment to publishing excellent poetry that reflects the social and political events of our world." Send ku inspired by the news to the editors.

5: Prune Juice is to come out more often - quarterly instead of twice a year. The next issue is due out in April. For further details see the website.

6: Haijinx is in something of a flux and the production schedule has been changed to "semi-annually", whatever that means. For further details see the website.

7: Frogpond has a new editor - Francine Banwarth is taking over from George Swede who has been at the helm for 4 years. The journal's submissions page has been updated.

Submissions

Multiverses is a new online quarterly journal, and seeks haiku, tanka and haibun.
Submit: Extended to February 15 for the inaugural issue. For full details see the website.

 

Congratulations

To Ernie Berrie who has been Highly Commended in the international section of the Irish Haiku Society Competition with:

early dusk
the elderly sexton
wreathed in mist

The contest was won by Quendryth Young of Australia. Read all the winning haiku here.

To Andre Surridge who has been Commended in the Haiku Presence Award (UK) with:

weekend over
rattle of a plastic soldier
in my guitar

The contest, which had 4 judges, was won by John Barlow of the UK. 

To overseas NZPS member Seren Fargo who has been placed First in the Thom Williams Memorial Contest (US) with:

scattered ashes -
all the things
I don't remember

Read all the winning poems here. 

To Ernie Berry who has been placed Second in the HPNC Haiku Contest (US) with: 

wildfire the night sky full of pine

The contest was won by Carolyn Hall, who also won the 2 Honourable Mentions and was placed Second in the Senryu Contest. Read all the winning poems here.

To Andre Surridge who has received an Honourable Mention in the HPNC Senryu Contest (US) with:

unblinking eyes
of the fortune-telling gypsy
penny arcade

Read all the winning poems here.

The contest was won by Joseph Robello.


Other results:

Shortlist for the 2011 Touchstone Distinguished Book Awards (US). The results will be announced in April.

Mainichi Haiku Contest (Japan). The winner features capital letters, 3 images and a full stop!

HPNC Tanka Contest (US), scroll down.

HSA Haibun Contest (US), scroll down. 

Harold G Henderson Haiku Award (US).

Conferences & Festivals

Haiku Pacific Rim, September 5-9, California 

This is being held in Asilomar, near San Francisco from September 6-10 next year with Dr Akito Arima as guest speaker. Dr Arima was in 2010 awarded the Order of Culture by the Emperor of Japan. Plans for delegates include a visit to a state park and a celebratory dinner. The organisers, members of two haiku groups, have a website.

MIHC International Haiku Festival, October 8-13, 2013, Tokyo

Organised by the Meguro International Haiku Circle, the festival has a theme of "Pilgrimage to Haiku Holy Places".

Events so far planned include a ginko and kukai, haiku presentation/reading and Koto play, haiga/photo haiku exhibition, speech/presentation by participants, haiku/haiga-creation workshop, Noh play/wadaiko exercises, ginko to Japanese gardens and sightseeing.

There will also be events in Kamakura and these include a ginko to Tokeiji temple (RH Blyth and Daisetsu Suzuki) and Jufukuji temple (Kyoshi), kukai at Kyoshi-Tatsuko memorial museum, Zen-meditation at Kenchoji temple and a ginko to Kotokuji temple (Buddha).

If you would like to make a presentation at the festival, you must let the organisers know by November 30, 2012, with an abstract due by March 31, 2013.

For more information, email Yasuomi Koganei.

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