My Haikai Workshop
Hi folks,
Well, it’s a damp, chilly morning here on Halkyn Mountain, preternaturally quiet with not a bird singing as the sun bores through the overcast to gild the estuary below.
Time I think to share a bit of news with you…
Have a good Sunday, everyone, and take care.
Paul
***
At a meeting of the Chester Poets group some months ago, it was proposed, with my agreement, that I should give a workshop for members on haikai poetry forms. This was approved and the date set for Saturday 19th August.
I’d never given a workshop before but decided immediately that I’d structure it as three modules – (1) Haiku and Senryu, (2) Tanka, and (3) Haibun.
I worked very hard preparing my workshop and decided I’d give a full set of my notes to each attendee, so they wouldn’t need to write copious notes and could take my notes home for future reference.
An excellent venue was found, booked and paid for. This was a community centre in Chester with good parking, a café where I could meet and greet attendees, unisex loos, and a library where I could give my workshop with tea and coffee available throughout. My workshop would begin at 12:30pm and run for four hours, ending at 4:30pm.
The event was well advertised and the list of members signing up for it just kept growing and growing!
Leading the workshop was a great experience and the amazing thing was how enthusiastically the participants tackled the exercises I’d set, with practically every hand shooting up when I asked if anyone would like to read their work back. Much of the work showed promise and some was very good indeed.
It was truly gratifying afterwards when many of the participants came up to tell me how much they’d enjoyed the workshop, some even going so far as to say it was the best workshop they’d ever been to,
I truly hope that I might have helped those serious about writing haikai poetry to produce good publishable work.
Copyright © Paul Beech 2023
Grandy's Landing 
Hi Paul,
That was very kind of you to give such full prepared notes for each workshop participant.
I rarely judge haiku contests, but as these workshop attendees are so new to haiku, I wonder if they might like to take a punt on this contest?
The Gloucestershire Poetry Society Haiku competition
https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/2023-haiku-competition
It’s wonderful when it’s brand new people to haiku, and sometimes even poetry in general, isn’t it! I bet both you and the group had fun and a lot of satisfaction.
warmest regards,
Alan
What a fantastic workshop it sounded Paul. Great to see so many people interested in Japanese’s short-form poetry. A lovely venue too.
Thanks Clive. Yes, I was amazed how many poets signed up for my workshop.
I think haikai poetry was something of a mystery to some. One produced a couple of ancient battered copies of Blithe Spirit and told me he couldn’t make head nor tail of it. The work he produced during the workshop was, let’s say, interested…
Best always,
Paul
You’ll be doing ginko walks next 😃
Very likely!
Thanks Clive.
Hi Alan, and many thanks for your comment.
Yes, the workshop was fun and I was bowled over with all the wonderful comments received afterwards.
I’ve forwarded your comment to Kemal Houghton, Chair of Chester Poets, and asked him to circulate members with details of The Gloucestershire Poetry Society’s Haiku competition.
By the way, will you be doing another issue of Blo͞o Outlier Journal? Maureen and I both loved it.
Warmest regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks!
re Blo͞o Outlier Journal, it’s now absorbed into Pan Haiku Review. Issue 2 is all about tercets with seasonal aspects!
https://www.callofthepage.org/the-pan-haiku-review/
warm regards,
Alan
Well done, Paul! Clearly you put a lot of work into this and it must’ve been very well received.
Many thanks John.
You’re right! It was jolly hard work, preparing my workshop. But I enjoyed doing it as well, and knew it had all been worthwhile when I saw how keenly the participants engaged with everything.
Cheers,
Paul.
Paul your Haikai workshop on Sat. 19th August given for The Chester Poets was simply wonderful, a great success! All the participants worked very hard and produced quite amazing results. It was also great that Granddaughter Elisha attended and wrote some good work which has already been published!
I am so proud of you my lovely Partner.
All my love,
Maureen xxx
Thank you, my darling Maureen.
You know better than anyone how hard I worked in preparing my haikai workshop. It would be my first workshop ever given and I was determined it should be a success.
And, gosh, it really was, wasn’t it, thanks to the enthusiasm, receptiveness and creativity of the participants – including yourself and Elisha, of course!
Your support and confidence in me throughout helped a lot, be in no doubt about that.
All my love always,
Your Paul xxx