BHS Haiga workshop on Zoom – 22 February 2026

Following the great success of the haiga workshop at the 2025 BHS Spring Gathering in London—and in response to requests from members who were unable to attend or who live abroad—the BHS Committee organised a special Zoom event dedicated to haiga which took place on Sunday, 22 February at 4pm (UK time). The workshop was attended by 36 BHS members.

Haiga Presentation by Iliyana Stoyanova
The History and Evolution of Haiga

This illustrated PowerPoint presentation explored:
· Origins and Early Development
· The Edo Period and the Birth of Haiga
· Yosa Buson and the Maturation of Haiga
· Stylistic Influences and Aesthetic Principles
· Later Developments and Modern Haiga
· Common Themes in Haiga Poetry
· Techniques to Enhance Emotional Resonance in Haiga
· A Gallery of Traditional and Modern Haiga Examples
· Challenges of Creating Haiga

After the presentation, participants enjoyed a hands-on creative session in breakout rooms, where they were able to reflect on the images and discuss their first responses together. Photo prompts had been provided beforehand, and poets were warmly invited to write haiku inspired by these images, experimenting with different approaches, tones, and seasonal references.

In the plenary session after the breakout rooms, each group of poets selected one poem that they felt best represented their discussion and creative process, and shared it with all attendees. This final sharing not only showcased a rich variety of haiku, but also highlighted the many different ways in which a single image can spark imagination and lead to distinctive poetic voices:

bridge image

inner-city walk the shadows always cold
— Michael Dylan Welch

Africa image

a world divided into white and black grandmother’s memories
— Deborah Karl-Brandt

unseen the words behind her eyes
— Katrina Serwe

too deep for words the letters remain unwritten
— Joy Heath

gull image

summer evening
not the same
without you
— Morag Humble

…….centred
in autumn light
.golden silence
— susan spooner

lily image

beauty
from scars
lotus
— Joy Hallinan

Here are two examples of haiga created by the photo prompts:

Joy Hallinan

Iliyana Stoyanova

The haiga workshop closed on a warm and reflective note, with participants expressing how the combination of image and poem had opened new ways of seeing their own haiku practice. Many left inspired to continue exploring haiga, and there was a strong sense that this shared experience had deepened both their appreciation of the form and their connection as a community.

Write-up by Iliyana Stoyanova
Photo prompts – free images from Pixabay