Echidna Tracks plans to publish a small collection of haiga by artists/poets living in Australia and Australians now living abroad. We hope to continue with further small collections of haiga twice a year. Collaborations between an artist and a poet will also be welcome.
Haiga Editors
Visit this page for full details of our haiga editors.
What is a haiga?
In a haiga, the poem and image should not literally describe each other, but rather, their juxtaposition should link and shift in new directions to enhance meaning and resonance for the reader. The poem and image should neither be too far from each other nor too close. These new directions can include references to any of our senses and feelings that may deepen the impression of the poem. The haiku should be able to stand alone but should both imply and obtain additional meaning and/or insight when embedded within the image.
Submissions
- Open to anyone living in Australia and to all Australians residing overseas.
- Details of our next submission period will be posted in this space. Followers of Echidna Tracks will receive advice through a post.
- GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
- Please follow the guidelines to ensure your haiga is suitable for publication. Submissions should be addressed to echidnatrackshaiga@gmail.com only in the month advertised.
- Images must be original and may be created in any medium. Photographs must be the contributor’s copyright, NOT a copyright-free image from the internet. AI images created by verbal instructions are not permitted.
- A maximum of two single submissions per entrant, two collaborations, or one single entry and one collaboration.
- All submissions must include the haiku inside the image and be high-quality JPEGS, PNGs or JPGs.
- Haiga must be clearly legible at 600 pixels on their largest dimension, at a resolution of 72 ppi. If you create your haiga using a large file, please ensure your text is still readable when the image is reduced to the required format.
- Please name files with your last name, the word haiga and the first two words of the haiku, e.g. jones_haiga_summerdrought.jpg, or in the case of collaborations, t_jones_i _smith_haiga_summerdrought, where the text is by Jones and the image is by Smith.
- The haiga may contain the signature of the artist(s), or the artists can be identified in the text accompanying the haiga. In the case of collaborative work, both contributors must be identified.
- All submissions remain the copyright of the creator(s). They should not have appeared in any edited journal. Still, they are eligible if they have appeared on social media or personal websites.
- In submitting to Echidna Tracks, you confirm that you have the copyright to your submitted work, that you grant permission to Echidna Tracks to publish your work and that you do not hold Echidna Tracks responsible for any copyright infringement arising from the publication of your submitted work.
Mistakes to avoid:
- The haiku isn’t strong enough on its own.
- The image is too close to the haiku and doesn’t give us another perspective.
- The font is either difficult to read, placed without enough thought about the overall design, or far too dominant.
- The image ‘fills in’ the missing information in the haiku, thereby ‘explaining’ the meaning rather than expanding on the possibilities.
- The image is too busy or too colourful, so we are distracted by irrelevant details or colours that detract from the design.
- The image is so abstract that it fails to provoke further thoughts.
- The image is poorly composed or lacking in clarity.
Typography
Typography must be considered as a third and important key element of a haiga or shahai, along with the essential haiku and image, all working together. The poem isn’t a caption; it should be considered in terms of how, as a visual element, it relates to the whole work. Careful placement of the haiku, attention to lead lines, and balance can create satisfying visual tension between the image and the text. The poem does not have to be set in one block within the image; it can be placed in a frame outside the image block. Lines of text (or individual words) may separate, curve or meander as long as they read coherently and are balanced with the image. We read text in a certain way, which should influence placement and balance. Sometimes, choosing a lighter-weight font, as long as it is still clearly legible, can enhance a mood. Font colour is also a factor.
Signature placement
Signature placement (and how it balances the poem and white space) is also essential. It’s hard to add names to the image without creating a distraction. And two names are even more challenging to add discreetly. A chop is entirely different. We didn’t insist that the image should include the names of the creator(s), but most people assumed that was one of the rules. If you include names on the image, make the names as small as possible and use a horizontal text alignment.
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