BHS Haiku workshop – 28 November 2020

Alan Summers and Karen Hoy offered to host a live Zoom haiku workshop, on Saturday November 28th, from 10.30 am for two hours, for fellow BHS members. Participants were invited to bring along a haiku to read, and that there would be as much discussion and feedback as we could fit into the time.

Karen felt it was best low-tech so everyone was asked to write or print out their poem on a page. This was so that everyone would be ready to hold their poem up to the screen, so that we could all see both the poet and the poem at the same time, while they read. This created a wonderful and warm aspect to the readings, with good humour as we might say right or left so we could see both the poem clearly and the reader, either peeping over, or to the side. Great fun!

There were at least thirty-eight participants in total, and after introductions, a haiku reading, and a question or three, there was around twenty minutes to do a speed but detailed workshop, which we did for everyone up for workshopping.

Much of the feedback sent after the workshop showed the participants found it to be well-organised and helpful to their writing.

Write-up by Alan Summers & Karen Hoy