I'm Going to the Fair!

Next month I'm joining my sister for a stall at The Little Vintage Markets in Mount Maunganui, and I'm so excited!

On my table there'll be books, of course! Including vintage children's books -- great for sharing the stories you grew up reading, with your kids. Also, these beautiful vintage books sets -- an alternative way to add colour and character to your home.

Above is my 'display only' set -- a rich green with exquisite gold detail. I'm searching out more vibrant colours -- blues, reds and greens -- over the next couple of weeks that I can fashion into these little clutches. (Hubby won't let me take any from the many shelves in our home, no matter how enthusiastic I am, and no matter how supportive he is of my ventures!) I hope people agree that they'd be a wonderful addition to any home decor -- a celebration of the written word!

I'll also be selling my handcrafted cards. As I've recently given away so many with the A New Resonance 8 books (email me to buy your copy) it's time to get stuck into creating more. Some will be haiku cards:

Both of these have a vintage-style embroidered butterfly, with the first line of the haiku hand-stamped on the front, and the remaining lines inside.

holding my breath
the butterfly lands
on her finger

the taste of nashi: New Zealand Haiku (Windrift, 2008)

between breaths
following the white
of this butterfly

The Heron's Nest 15:2 (June, 2013)

Others will feature text and images from vintage books. I love collecting old boy and girl annuals as they are fabulous for finding cool bits and pieces for cards. Below is an unfinished one where I've cut a bird from sheet music, and have paired it with a few lines from a trinket book, The Little Book of Gems:

And even more cards will have origami hearts and cranes on the fronts. This is my idea of fun at the moment. (Click on any of the images to see an enlarged view.) I hope you'll come to see me at the fair in a few weeks if you're passing by the Tauranga area.

Call for Submissions: Australia-New Zealand Haiku Anthology

In honour of the late John Knight, Paper Wasp is producing a joint trans-Tasman haiku anthology, open to residents of Australia and New Zealand, as well as Australians and New Zealanders living in other parts of the world.

Send up to 10 haiku, published or unpublished with a cheque for $A10 or $A10 in cash. That amount will then be deducted from orders for the final cost (including postage and handling) of the anthology. Poets must also include brief biographical notes to a maximum of 50 words, as well as publication and/or prize details of previously published haiku. Paper Wasp reserves the right to make selections for the anthology based on established conventions of merit.
 
Go here for details of where to send your submissions. Deadline: October 20. 
 

New Zealand Poetry Society Haiku Competitions 2013 Results

In June I was the competition judge for the junior section of the New Zealand Poetry Society Haiku Competition. I had a great time doing this job. You can read about it and find out the results here.

Then last month I found out I'd won fifth place in the adult section of the competition. Yay! Great to have finally cracked the top five of my home country's major haiku contest. I was lucky enough to also receive a commended placing. You can read the full judge's report by Nola Borrell here.

My congratulations to all the winners! Next on the New Zealand haiku calendar is the 7th Kokako Haiku & Senryu Competition. Find out all you need to know here.

Happy National Poetry Day New Zealand!

That's right, today is New Zealand's Poetry Day.

How will you be celebrating?

Check out this link to find an event in your area.


I'm pleased to announce that I have finally finished putting my poetry collection together this month, and that is certainly something to celebrate! As I write, my manuscript is being read by three generous and talented poet friends so I can get some feedback before moving forward.

While we're all waiting to see my collection come out in book form (it will happen!) why not check out A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku, which I featured in this year with my biggest ever crop of haiku in one publication: 15. It's almost like having a chapbook, in an anthology with 16 other chapbooks! :-)

You can read the first New Zealand review here, written by Tony Beyer. He writes of my work . . .

"Kirsten Cliff's characteristic sensitivity is demonstrated throughout her contribution:

wind gusts--
the letter was not
meant for me

Nature and human nature, co-dependant in our existence, operate in harmony through her lines. She stands up well in this international company and richly deserves the wider audience her inclusion in A New Resonance should bring her."

I have for sale copies of A New Resonance 8 (Eds. Dee Evetts & Jim Kacian, Red Moon Press 2013). If you'd like your copy signed by me, sent from Hobbiton, and with one of my handcrafted cards as a free gift to you for your support, then please contact me here. I'd love to hear from you!

Me beside the "Welcome to Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand" sign in my hometown. (click on image to enlarge)

Fiji Wedding

Last month I spent a wonderful six days on Fiji's Castaway Island with my family for my brother's wedding. Here's a photo of the happy couple . . .

Fiji wedding--
between their vows
the sound of waves










At the wedding reception there were quiz cards, which they had devised to encourage mingling. I was so pleased to see that one of the questions was: Who is a recognised poetry judge? Answer: Kirsten Cliff :-)

Me with my brother Cameron after the wedding ceremony.

I love to swim and so enjoyed the beautiful blue ocean and warm weather away from New Zealand's winter. I swam with the fishes, without having to worry about jelly fish! I also saw the coral reef in a glass-bottomed boat.

It was cool exploring the rock-pools when the tide went out, something I remember doing as a child. I saw crabs, sea snails, and the striking blue starfish that is the symbol of Castaway Island.

And the sunsets!

 

I also had some wonderful meals, including a traditional Fijian feast complete with entertainment. All in all a fabulous holiday, and an emotional time seeing my brother get married. I would definitely go back, but doubt that's happening any time soon! Maybe I'll make a Fiji calendar for my family for 2014, though . . .

"A" is for August and Apple and Art

I thought it was about time I posted some more of my calendar pages. August is below:

(click on image to enlarge)

My 2013 calendar of haiku and photography was created by me for my family. You can see all the pages to date on this new page: Kirsten's 2013 Calendar of Haiku & Photography

The Winner of the "A New Resonance 8" Book Draw is . . .

Carole Harrison

Congratulations, Carole! A copy of A New Resonance 8 will be on its way to you soon, along with one of my handcrafted cards.

Here's one of Carole's haibun created during the month:

Day 17

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." ~Hermann Hesse

murrumbidgee -
a submerged log letting go
of the morning

~CaroleH 
Note: Murrumbidgee, a large river in SE Australia

Thanks to everyone who took part in I Quote, You 'Ku this July. Your support of my month-long project is much appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed taking part. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday. :-)

If you'd like to buy your own copy of A New Resonace 8: Emerging Voice in English-Language Haiku (Eds. Jim Kacian and Dee Evetts, Red Moon Press 2013) then please drop me a line. Read the first New Zealand review here.

FYI: All the 52 names of poets who posted went into the online tool 'Pick a Winner!' from which one was randomly selected.