In both longer forms and in tanka, writers have been sparked by outback desert locations, much further north.

Yet urban scenarios are depicted too, at times in the personalised poetry also incorporated.

All states and territories of Australia are represented in this, our first edition, either as settings for poems or as home ground for poets.

Likewise, readers can engage with impressions given of more distant environments: from England to Scotland; from the United States to Canada; from China to Japan: within a poetic short-form originating there, Catchment offers a tanka showing sunlight on a Japanese lake …

Pivotal to the structure of this journal is the choice made simply to place contributors in alphabetical order of surname; both in listing biographical statements and in presenting the poetry itself; whether in longer Western free-verse forms or in tanka.

The names of individual poets can also be clicked upon, of course, as links.

Each bio statement includes a digital link to relevant poems, needless to say.

In presenting carefully selected writing, a key aim for our editorial team has been not to seem intrusive: avoiding explicit shaping of reader reaction; not editing overtly, through placing distinct texts in close proximity, on our own interpretive say-so, in order to give a message …

Believing in all of the work chosen, we do not wish to appear to value some pieces of poetry more than others.

Rather, if a writer happens to have had multiple contributions included here, we have generally opted merely to present such a set of poems in the order in which it was sequenced, back in the submission that the author made in the first place.

You may still note — all the same — how sets of connections weave their way in and out, whether such links or contrasts happen to be geographical or stylistic, emotive or thematic.

My deep gratitude goes to Jennifer Fell, for offering sustained and insightful assistance, in all her work on this project; and in helping to review contributions of longer poetry in particular.

As a former colleague from teaching, and also as a long-term friend in writing — expert with Japanese-derived short-form verse — Jo McInerney has offered invaluable input within the process of helping to make recommendations and selections pertaining to tanka submitted.

From earliest discussions about such a dream as this, Kris Hemensley (from the old Collected Works Bookshop in Melbourne) and Peter Roberts (newly appointed as Poet-in-Residence for Hobsons Bay) have likewise shared feedback which has been instructive and affirming.

Keen to have the Bbaa support a literary dimension within the existing website for this Arts Alliance, towards promoting writing across Gippsland, Sue Murphy has offered genuine help with Catchment, in liaising with the Bbaa as a larger organisation.

All of Michael Ogden’s input — involving expertise & inventiveness, energy & support — has been truly indispensable in the IT area: my most heartfelt thank-you goes to him. Marlene Ogden’s tireless assistance especially during the final stages of site testing, thank you Marlene.

My deepest gratitude goes to all contributors who have taken the creative risk of submitting to a brand-new publishing venture.

It has been most rewarding to receive tentative offerings from writers making their first forays into publication, both in Western forms and in tanka, alongside credentialled practitioners and seasoned campaigners, with their poetry finding a place, side by side.

Rodney Williams                                    Editor

For information regarding the 2nd edition please refer to the Submissions page.

He features fine examples of work in each of the two styles of poetry found in our journal.As Gregory Piko has kindly gone on to specify, the submission window for the second edition of Catchment will open on 21 March 2024.
This opportunity to offer a new set of poems showing a sense of location will continue until May 21.
Issue # 2 of Catchment will go live online through the Bbaa’s website on June 21.
Again, poets resident in Australia can offer work focussed on place in two poetic genres:
either poetry springing from the Western tradition (in free verse or European forms);
or tanka (the longer sibling of the haiku, also from Japan);
or both.
Poets who made submissions last time are thanked deeply for their support.
We encourage you all to offer further poems!
A key point of difference will become more evident, however, once the new submission window opens on March 21.
Catchment has only a small team: developing the first edition was rewarding, yet a large undertaking.
In order to make editing/ formatting/ uploading more practicable/ sustainable, our IT team members have gained access to a digital proforma.
Pieces of poetry will need to be submitted through this in future.
New guidelines plus reminders will be provided in due course.
In the meantime, we thank all supporters of Catchment for their backing.
Lovers of Australian writing are encouraged to visit the website of Gregory Piko as well.

Yours through poems,

Rodney Williams
Editor
Catchment – Poetry of Place
bawbawartsalliance.org.au/catchment
editors.catchment@bawbawartsalliance.org.au