Several BHS members went to the launch of the book and exhibition on Sunday 11th March, the anniversary of the disaster, at the Pop Up Gallery in Kensington.

David Bingham admires Haiku Kami 11

give me an icicle
containing the stars
of the deep north

Takaha Shugyo

More photos on our Facebook page.

More information about Carolina Khouri’s work can be found at http://www.carolinakhouri.com.

Our Autumn Gathering took place on Saturday, Nov 26th, 10.00am to 4.00pm, 2011, at The Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London.

Susan Lee Kerr started us off brilliantly with a talk about developing states of creative awareness which included the thoughts of people ranging from Basho, through Ignatius Loyola to Grayson Perry. Inspired by this we were set a haiku writing exercise and the results were put on a wall display. A great idea to get us writing haiku at the start of the day! Susan’s printed notes will be invaluable to members as a starting point for further reading into the ‘awareness gate’ This was a session which really got people going!

The AGM was a lively session with officers’ reports presented efficiently and lots of positive ideas offered by BHS members for the committee to take up in the near future. We discussed items as varied as: the introduction of ‘Twitter’; developing a members’ area on the website; how Blithe Spirit should respond to the evolution of haiku in Japan; links with the French Haiku Society; our 2012 Spring Gathering; the European Parole Project; our 5 Year Plan; and much more.

David Cobb led a stimulating session to start the afternoon. After a brief talk on how to perform haiku, we were divided into groups who each had the job of creating a performance based on the haiku David had selected for us. Then the groups performed in front of the whole gathering. And what performance talents were revealed in the society! Such top notch stuff, prepared in only twenty minutes. All the performances deserved a wider audience; this is definitely something to build on for the future.

Colin Blundell then ‘took our minds for a walk’ through music, art and the written word. This was an inspirational experience for everyone. WOW .. what resources Colin provided us with: art by Ayzen, Paul Klee, his own work and that by John Parsons. We finished by creating haiku based on inspirational drawings. These we shared in the session.

We finished our day by listening to the adjudication of the informal haiga competition by our judges Lynne Rees and Katherine Gallagher. The joint winners were: Phil Madden and Verity Adams. Congratulations to them and thanks to everyone who brought work in for the competition.

More Photos on our Facebook page.

Deadline 30 October, 2011.

Send to the editor: Colin Blundell, email: coljo (a) metronet . co . uk

If you wish for acknowledgement of receipt, send s.a.e. to his postal address, Longholm, East Bank, Wingland, Sutton Bridge, Lincs PE12 9YS.

Rules of the British Haiku Awards

1. Submissions must be in English, unpublished at the time of submission, remaining so until results are declared, and not concurrently entered for any other competition. There is no limit on the number of entries from any single competitor.
   

2. Deadline: in the administrator’s hands by 31 January, 2012. Haiku and haibun entries may be sent in the same envelope.
   

3. Entry procedures: For haiku, send each poem on three separate 5 x 3 in. (125 x 75mm) cards (or paper cut to the same size.) On one only of the 3 copies write your name and address on the back. For haibun *, send three copies of each haibun, each copy on a separate A4 sheet or sheets. One copy should bear your name, address, phone number and email address (if applicable.) The other two copies should bear no identification. Enclose the appropriate fee[s] (see below) and post to: The Administrator, British Haiku Awards, Newton House, Holt Road, North Elmham, Norfolk, NR20 5JQ, UK. No entries for haiku or haibun will be returned, so do keep your own copies.
   
   * Haibun must contain at least 100 words of prose and at least one haiku, and must not exceed 2,500 words in length. Each haibun should be given a title.

4. Fees: The entry fee for up to 3 haiku is £3 (or US$ 6) and £1 (US$ 2) per haiku thereafter, the fee for haibun is £3 (or US$ 6) per entry. Cheques and money orders payable to: The British Haiku Society (N.B. not ‘BHS’.) Due to high currency and clearance charges, payment can only be accepted in sterling by cheque drawn on a bank with branches in the UK; or by British postal order or International Money Order; or (at the sender’s risk) in sterling bank notes, dollar bills, or Euro bank notes at the current rate of exchange..
   

5. No current trustee of the British Haiku Society is eligible to enter.
   

6. Adjudication process: BHS appoints two judges for each category, haiku and haibun (four different judges in all.) Each judge sees all entries submitted in the category assigned to him/her, and without consulting the other judge makes his/her own independent choice of best haiku /haibun and, in the case of haiku only, one runner-up in each category. Their choices will be final and no correspondence can be entered into about the results. If two judges’ choices happen to coincide, a Double Award will be declared, i.e. one winner receives both prizes.
   

7. Prizes: For haiku, prizes of £125 will be awarded to each of the two best and £50 to each of two runners-up. (Double awards: £250 and £100.) For haibun, prizes of £125 will be awarded to each of the two best, but at present there will be no runner-up prize. (As the number of entries for the haibun category increases it is hoped eventually to bring this into line with the haiku category and award runner-up prizes as well.)
   

8. Publication of results: As soon as they are known, results will be put up on the BHS website at www.britishhaikusociety.org.uk and published in the June issue of the BHS members’ newsletter. All haiku selected for awards will be published in the June 2012 issue of the BHS journal, Blithe Spirit. It is hoped the selected haibun may also appear in full in that issue, but as their length is unpredictable, for space reasons the journal editor will use his/her discretion about spreading publication over two issues, i.e. June and September 2012.
   

9. for personal early notification of results, please enclose a self-addressed envelope with appropriate UK stamp, or US $1, or two International Reply Coupons (e.g. US$ 7 covers the entry fee for 3 haiku and notification.)
   

10. Copyrights revert to authors after publication in the British Haiku Society journal, Blithe Spirit, but entry for either award signifies agreement to your work being published digitally by the Society or copied for archival purposes (for example, by the British Library or the Poetry Library, London).
    

    Judges for the British Haiku Awards 2011 are as follows:

    Haiku:	Dee Evetts and Clare McCotter
    Haibun:	Lynne Rees and Jeffrey Woodward

    Results of last year’s competition

    • Results of the British Haiku Awards 2010 (Haiku Section)
    • Results of the British Haiku Awards 2010 (Haibun Section)
    ]]> http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/07/the-british-haiku-awards-2011/feed/ 0 http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/04/japanese-and-english-haiku-rendered-decoratively-onto-silk-scarves-late-august-to-early-september-2011/ http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/04/japanese-and-english-haiku-rendered-decoratively-onto-silk-scarves-late-august-to-early-september-2011/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:27:25 +0000 bhsadmin http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/?p=472 More...]]> Friday 26-Tuesday 30 August and Thursday 1-Monday 5 September, 2011, St Pancras Crypt Gallery, London.

    Art Communication Ltd of Tokyo present an Exhibition of Japanese and English haiku rendered decoratively onto silk scarves. Note that different items will be displayed in the two exhibition periods. The organisers of this event are being assisted by the British Haiku Society.

    ]]> http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/04/japanese-and-english-haiku-rendered-decoratively-onto-silk-scarves-late-august-to-early-september-2011/feed/ 0 http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/04/opening-ceremony-of-exhibition-of-japanese-and-english-haiku-26-august-2011/ http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/04/opening-ceremony-of-exhibition-of-japanese-and-english-haiku-26-august-2011/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:27:04 +0000 bhsadmin http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/?p=465 More...]]> Friday 26 August, 2011, St Pancras Church Gallery, London.

    Opening ceremony of exhibition of Japanese and English haiku by Art Communication Ltd of Tokyo. Exhibits will include both BHS members’ poems and Japanese originals, rendered onto glass, ceramic tablets and/or stones. Entry free. Exhibition continues till Sat 30 August.

    Non-members of BHS welcome.

    ]]> http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/2011/04/opening-ceremony-of-exhibition-of-japanese-and-english-haiku-26-august-2011/feed/ 0