Roam St Catherine’s Hill and the water meadows to create short poems inspired by the landscape and National Poetry Day 2026 theme: wonder.

National Poetry Day 2026

A Haiku Walk with Mark Rutter

Join Mark Rutter and roam St Catherine’s Hill and the water meadows to create short poems inspired by the landscape and National Poetry Day 2026 theme: wonder. This event is in partnership with University of Winchester.

Why a ‘haiku walk’? The Japanese haiku focusses on a single moment, and is traditionally based upon close observation. Because of this, writing haiku can be a way to put aside the cares and concerns which tend to dominate our lives, and focus attention on the details of the natural world. Haiku poets like Basho and Issa were famous walkers, and wrote on the move – and this is precisely what we will be doing.

Mark says:

We will meet at 4.00pm at Handlebar Cafe, where I will hand out some translations of traditional and modern Japanese haiku inspired by nature, along with some contemporary English-language examples.

There will be a writing exercise based on these, then we will split up and explore the hill and environs, on the look-out for inspiration.

We will agree on a place to meet and exchange what we have written, in time for the event to end at 5.30.

Mark Rutter’s poems have appeared in magazines and anthologies throughout the English-speaking world. His most recent poetry publications are Simple Cells (inkCONCRETE) and Sky-Burial (Coast to Coast to Coast). He is also an artist and printer, and teaches Creative Writing at the University of Winchester.

Suitable for: all ages and abilities

Duration: 1.5 hours

Format: in person

Bring: pen and paper, warm and dry clothing.

Description supplied by the event organiser.