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FLAT: BHS Members Anthology 2001, Ed. Colin Blundell, Hub Editions; ISBN 1-903746-13-2 Available for £4.50 post free from the Editor.

2001 marks a radical departure in the history of BHS Members’ Anthologies. It has acquired an ISBN and thus achieves ‘escape velocity’ to be launched on a wider public than the previous 9 editions (which were for contributors only). Some might say, “And about time too,” though the more cynical might cite the coincidence that 2001 is also the title of Arthur C. Clarke’s tale of monoliths. The change justifies a review but why me? Perhaps because for the first time in 5 years I am not a contributor (Colin mistook my submission for a BS submission and this was the only way to get a free copy!). Apart from the attendant lack of bias, it allowed me to approach the task aware that many of you have already read it and formed your own opinions anyway, and left me free to explore.

     Even the first ‘dippings’ had the unmistakable flavour of a ‘members anthology.’ By this I mean that the theme, “FLAT” (unmentionable in the contributions), disappeared in the diversity of the content in response to the theme. Styles too, were many and varied; additional evidence that the BHS is not a collection of clones!

The first example was merely a personal favourite (of many), the second, one of the most effective I have come across within a three-word format and noting that the last of these was 5-7-5 (albeit a little strained!) prompted several lines of musing. Has the proportion of 5-7-5 changed over the years? What else has too, why else did it feel like a members anthology? To that end I flicked through earlier ‘contributors’ editions.’ Below are a few comparisons, both general and, where specific they allude to the FIRE anthology of 1993. All have the feeling of diversity though the level has increased since about 1996 and overall there has been a movement away from the excessive use of adjectives and ‘poetic phrases’. Since 1998, there seems to be a trend towards the greater use of 1 and 2 line poems; (4 line poems have always had occasional adherents), but the current anthology contains 2,‘1 liners,’ and 4, ‘2 liners’(the former absent and the latter represented by a single example in FIRE). A small change, but perhaps a greater sense of freedom/ confidence among the current members, to experiment?

     Returning to 5-7-5 structure, the difference is more dramatic: 30% in 1993 compared with 13% in the current volume, indicating perhaps a maturing of form in British haiku. Needless to say, the change is in a reduction of syllables and with more variation of line symmetry.

     Given that one established characteristic of British haiku is a tendency to incorporate senryu-like qualities (from a personal standpoint, the presence of wry humour rather than the lack of cutting and season words), Such wryness was evident in 7% of the FIRE contributions whereas in this year’s collection the proportion had risen to 31%; an interesting if subjective difference! Finally (of the comparisons), 23% of the contributors to FIRE, also contributed to FLAT which indicates a significant change in contributors over the intervening years and probably reflects a similar change in membership of the BHS.

     The change in status of the Anthology as an official organ of the Society, raises a number of additional questions. Were the members of the Society aware in advance?  [Yes! -  Ed]  Perhaps this is a transitional Anthology? Did members submit single poems or multiples for editorial selection?  [Both! - Ed] Would a clearer policy for the future be helpful, both for the members to choose whether to submit poems and for the Anthology to better represent the Society? I just wonder whether the 78 contributions from a membership of over 300 is really representative and whether greater clarity of intention might be helpful?

     Climbing down from the soapbox and returning to the content, one requirement of haiku is their capacity to evoke reader participation, each reader in relation to their own experience. This collection provides many such opportunities and its overall diversity, for any (novice or acclaimed wordsmith) who have a mind to participate, will have no problem finding one or a dozen poems that resonate. To conclude with another personal favourite (I should perhaps add that I do not possess the necessary implement but admire the haiku from distant memory):

daydreaming / I iron out / the pleats in her skirt