Dear Members,
We are pleased to announce the creation of a
new world-wide haiku magazine by the World Haiku Club for its members and for
those who share our aims and aspirations in all corners of the earth. This
publication will be based on a completely new concept in aims, scale and scope
and initially issued on the Internet. Called "World
Haiku Review", this on-line magazine will be the organ of WHC and as
such will be comprehensive in coverage and large-scale in size, embodying WHC's
philosophy. In particular, the magazine will, as a broad church, celebrate and
encourage diversity, individualism and local initiatives in haiku, and promote
useful exchanges of different views held by different schools of thought and
individuals. "World
Haiku Review" will also be a champion of beginners, the relatively
obscure and the young, as well as aiming to be a fertile ground for the
established and seasoned poets for whom it will be a centre of excellence and a
place to further improve their craft. Moreover, the new magazine will stimulate
innovations in haiku and haiku-related genres, while upholding lasting values
and spirit of its long tradition. On all levels of competence and experience of
the member poets, "World
Haiku Review" will aim at the highest standards and quality. The focus
of the magazine is on our future, while respecting and studying the past.
Initially, the magazine will be published quarterly.
Contemporary haiku is enjoying unprecedented
prosperity and popularity. However, it is also in a state of flux and confusion.
"World Haiku
Review" will address all key issues of haiku today in addition to
providing an ideal outlet for Members' oeuvre. In so doing, the magazine will
carry on the two main themes of the World Haiku Festival, "Challenging
Conventions" and "Charting Our Future". It will re-examine all
these issues in depth and give them critical reappraisal. It is therefore not
the place for the faint-hearted or prejudiced. It is, however, for all those
open-hearted and genuine lovers of haiku. "World Haiku Review"® will
treat readers and contributors fundamentally on an individual basis, although
they will enjoy benefits from WHC's friendly relationships with numerous haiku
and other organisations in the world.
We will be issuing calls for submissions which
will include the various categories and genres of works currently produced and
discussed on WHC's mailing lists. It is our hope to have the first prototype
issue ready in time for "Epilogue to WHF2000 - Advent of JAPAN2001,"
which are our celebrations of the World Haiku Festival and WHC. These events
will be taking place in London this coming May. With your help, we can reach
this goal. We hope that our new world-wide haiku magazine will make a vital
contribution to the celebration and development of the world haiku movement. It
is a gift from WHC's Editorial Team to you, our Members, and to the haiku
community at large. We hope you will enjoy it when it is delivered to you.
With very best wishes,
Susumu Takiguchi
Chairman, The World Haiku Club
Managing Editor, World
Haiku Review®
Debi Bender
Development Advisor, The World Haiku Club
Editor-in-Chief, World
Haiku Review®
And the Editorial Team, World Haiku Review®
