(John Dougill writes…) News comes of the passing away of Edith Shiffert (1916-2017), long time resident poet and a revered figure for those of us who belong to Writers in Kyoto. Other English-language authors lived in Kyoto before her, but for the postwar generation and those who followed in their footsteps, Edith was a groundbreaking …Read More
Author: John Dougill (Page 34 of 45)
CATS AND DOGS IN BASHO Selection, Translation and Commentary by Jeff Robbins Words of Basho in this font, bold Last January David Duff posted his loving discussion of cats on this site which included no poetry about our feline friends. Here, to complement David’s article, are five Basho haiku and six renku links about cats, …Read More
This years WiK Competition closes in just over a week on March 1, and with time running out for entries we look back on some of the best runners-up from our previous competition in 2016. Our thanks to all those who submitted, and we hope that their ideas will stimulate new submissions in these closing …Read More
Sunday evening’s dinner talk by Judith Clancy proved a convivial literary evening as the author of Exploring Kyoto walked us through her several publications on the city. (Residents of Kyoto will surely have used Judith’s books at one time or another to guide them through the city, but for those unfamiliar with her publications please …Read More
The following were submitted by independent filmmaker and freelance translator, William Adams, currently based in Miyazaki. Judges were impressed by the original and stimulating nature of the entry, though in the end the prizes went elsewhere. Nevertheless the submissions show what can be accomplished in less than 300 words with a little touch of verve …Read More
In the past twenty years Pontocho has changed out of all recognition. Now it is packed with tourists, English menus are everywhere, and there are shops which cater even to budget travellers. Needless to say, a hundred years ago things were quite different, as Lafcadio Hearn here makes plain when he came on a visit …Read More
One of the entries for the 2016 WiK Writing Competition provides a perfect example of how the restriction of 300 words can be overcome by suggestive vignettes that tell a story in themselves. The suggestion here that ‘a tired old man’ has fallen asleep in the bubble years and woken in contemporary Kyoto is framed …Read More
As the deadline for the 2017 WiK Writing Competition approaches (March 1), we’re posting some of the best ‘also ran’ entries from the 2016 competition in the hope that they may stimulate others into creativity…. Richard Newton – 2016 Bainiku John and Supa Dupa Bainiku John’s wife died when she ventured too close to the …Read More
Richard Steiner has an eye for characteristic Kyoto scenes, as his woodblocks display, but here he turns to a verbal rather than visual medium to explore one of Kyoto’s special hidden secrets – and these pockets of forgotten time truly are hidden. ***************** One would not expect there could be something yet remaining in Kyoto …Read More
Supernatural Women: From Kwaidan to Basho Selection, Translation, and Commentaries by Jeff Robbins Those reading this article are probably familiar with Lafcadio Hearn’s life and writings, especially since this website has recently carried articles about him. Here are two legends told by Hearn in his famous collection of supernatural tales Kwaidan, which may (or may …Read More
Kyoto Writing Competition
WiK Anthologies
The Nature of Kyoto (2023)
Eds. Lisa Twaronite Sone & Robert Weis
Foreword by Pico Iyer
Structures of Kyoto (2021)
Eds: Rebecca Otowa & Karen Lee Tawarayama
Foreword by Judith Clancy
Encounters with Kyoto (2019)
Eds: Jann Williams & Ian Josh Yates
Foreword by Juliet Winters Carpenter
Echoes (2017)
Eds: John Dougill, Amy Chavez, & Mark Richardson
Preface by Alex Kerr
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