Journal
Blithe Spirit, our journal, is a Quarterly, with the cover dates of February, May, August and November to some extent reflecting the season just ended, i.e. the February issue contains a section of winter haiku, etc.
The name of the journal was suggested by our first President, James Kirkup, as a tribute to the great British haiku scholar, R H Blyth, to imply the spirit in which we hope to go about our art, and to suggest that haiku belongs in the poetry world, with a gentle nod towards Shelley’s skylark.
Each issue usually consists of around 100 pages, with original poems covering the gamut of haikai genres, a diversity of articles about the writing and appreciation of haiku and related forms, book reviews, letters to the editor, features and announcement of the winner of the Museum of Haiku Literature Award (£50) for the haiku chosen as best from the previous issue.
Editorial Policy of Blithe Spirit:
Our editorial policy is centred on encouraging new writing, valuing diverse approaches to haiku, and promoting excellence in the field. The editor is responsible for selecting items for publication and composing the journal. The views expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editor’s or the society’s views.
The editor values poems which are sincere, open, thought-provoking and avoid clichés; poems which demonstrate the use of techniques such as comparison, contrast, association, switching of senses or changing the focus, assonance, gentle humour; poems which employ Japanese aesthetic qualities like makoto, wabi-sabi, yūgen, shasei, etc. All poems should suggest rather than tell the reader what to feel or think.
Submission Guidelines:
Our editorial policy is to encourage new writing, value a diversity of approaches to haiku, and promote excellence. Blithe Spirit only accepts submissions from BHS members , however, members do not have an automatic right to publication. All submissions should be original work, not previously published in print or on social media, and under no consideration elsewhere. Please DO NOT SHARE work accepted for publication in Blithe Spirit until the journal has been published.
Submission Details:
• Poems and Articles: The editor welcomes submissions from full BHS members (between 3 and 10-12 poems per issue; haibun up to 300 words). Articles from non-members are occasionally accepted.
• Submission Format: Poems should be sent in one e-mail; no attachments are allowed unless special formatting is required.
• Copyright and Publication: Poetry will not typically be held over from one issue to the next. Copyright reverts to the author upon publication. By publishing in Blithe Spirit, contributors agree to digital publication and archival copying of their work.
Please send haiku, tanka, haibun, sequences, linked forms, articles, reviews & any other enquires to the editor, Iliyana Stoyanova:
The address for postal submissions will be provided in the members’ newsletter the Brief sent to the membership.
For those preferring to submit by post, please send a covering note and a stamped self-addressed envelope or one IRC if you wish for a reply.
Please have a look at this exciting piece of history – one of the first issues of Blithe Spirit from January 1992:
Sampler from – Blithe Spirit 27.4:
Sampler from – Blithe Spirit 28.3:
For the complete archive of previous editions of Blithe Spirit, visit our dedicated archive site at https://thebhsarchive.co.uk/
All views expressed on The British Haiku Society website are the views of the authors and contributors.
They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The British Haiku Society.
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