HAIKU IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: WALES
Possessing one of the oldest living literatures in Europe, Welsh poetry’s first brushes with haiku occurred in the 1960s through the small press scene. Though developments were relatively slow in the following decades, the turn of the century saw a much wider and more meaningful engagement in the form in Wales, owing particularly to the nurturing of haiku appreciation in the country’s educational institutions. The creation of a national haiku journal, along with an ever-growing international awareness of haiku by Welsh poets, are serving to ensure that engagement in the form continues to thrive in Wales.