Whanganui holds haiku competition for National Poetry Day

A Guyton St poetry trail will celebrate Whanganui's literary talent, The Guyton Group co-chairwoman Elise Goodge says. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui's The Guyton Group Trust is launching a competition for an original haiku that will be the first poem on the street's poetry trail.

Entries are due by Friday, August 27, which is National Poetry Day.

In the past, the trust has marked National Poetry Day with readings from poets Glen Colquhoun and Bill Manhire and in 2018 held a "Breakfast with Baxter" event, co-chairwoman Elise Goodge said.

This year it's holding the competition instead.

Haiku is from Japan, but has been adapted for English and other languages. Those in the competition must be written in the western style. If they are not in English, they will need a translation.

Each must have a total of 17 syllables in three lines of five, seven and five syllables respectively. They will be judged by people with a vested interest in Guyton St, and the winner will receive $100.

The winner will be announced on September 2 and the haiku will initially be displayed in Paige's Book Gallery.

It will be the first poem in the Guyton St poetry trail which will stretch from the Heads Rd Cemetery to the Whanganui River, Goodge said, with poems on buildings, in windows and on other structures.

All will be written by Whanganui people or have a strong link to Whanganui. A few words from James K Baxter, a piece by Airini Beautrais and a poem from sculptor Joan Morrell are all likely.

The competition-winning haiku will be an original and unpublished addition.

"Wouldn't it be nice to have an original new piece to put up?" Goodge said.

Entries can be delivered to Paige's Book Gallery in Guyton St or emailed to hello@paigesbooks.com before the competition closes at 5pm on Friday, August 27.