What is Haibun? Haibun is a form of writing originating in Japan where prose writing is interspersed with haiku.
Level: This course is suitable for students who would like experience in writing haibun/tanka prose or haiku/tanka; and also for experienced Flash Fiction writers who would like to extend their writing to encompass poetry.
Number of Assignments: 6
Group Size: up to 5 places
Haibun Length: The assignments vary in length from the shortest haibun to longer ones, but will average around two-thirds of a page.
Course Description:
At the outset of this course, participants will be encouraged and supported to think about their haibun practice and how they want to move forward as they increase their body of work. Over the course, there will be six assignments, with a choice of templates each time, encouraging experimentation within different boundaries of length and shape. There will be tutor feedback on each assignment. As with most Call of the Page courses, assignments and tutor feedback will be shared out in a single document to participants, in order to learn from each other's work as well as their own.
Participants will be supported in thinking about and choosing their own haibun subjects, but short prompts will also be offered for inspiration.
Lead Tutor for haiku; tanka; haibun; senryu; and tanka stories.
Alan is a Japan Times award-winning writer, and multi-award winning poet for haiku, plus a Pushcart Prize, and Best Small Fictions nominated poet for haibun.
He’s been President of the United Haiku & Tanka Society (2017 to 2021), and General Secretary of the British Haiku Society (1998-2000). Alan holds a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University (U.K. 2007-2008), and a Diploma for Creative Writing from the University of Bristol (U.K. 2000-2001).
In September 2015 NHK TV of Japan made a documentary about Alan's work: NHK Haiku Journey.
Alan’s work regularly appears in haikai genre journals, and prominent anthologies, including Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years (W. W. Norton 2013).
He has extensive experience as a tutor and workshop facilitator in both live and online settings. Alongside this he’s also an experienced editor for anthologies and journals. Alan’s been an essayist, article writer, critic, book reviewer, international competition judge, co-founder, and founder of various haiku & haibun journals.
Alan is founder and editor-in-chief for The Pan Haiku Review .
Cost: £320.00
Early Bird Cost: £300.00 if booked by end of 2nd January 2025