Our goal is to self-publish a world anthology of haiku dedicated to the topics of war, violence and human rights violations. The Anthology will include nearly 900 poems by 420 poets from 45 countries (6 continents) and will feature 33 different languages.

DON'T WAIT TO BUY THIS ANTHOLOGY AFTER PUBLICATION!

THE BOOK WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO PRE-BUY IT ON THIS WEBSITE.

View GALLERY for photos of the books.

A word from Dimitar Anakiev, or Why self-publish?

In 1999, immediately after the war conflicts in the Balkans, followed by the breakdown of Yugoslavia, Jim Kacian and I edited Knots: The Anthology of Southeastern European Haiku Poetry. A hole was drilled through the center of the book to simulate a bullet hole, and then a string was tied through the hole. Being a doctor in the Yugoslav army, I experienced this war personally. And my wish was to connect the poets of both sides. For Knots I wasn't able to find a publisher and I was forced to self-publish the book. A similar situation, on a much bigger scale, holds with this volume, Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations.

This is a multi-cultural book against war and violence that connects people from different nations around the world. The governments of many of these countries are mutual enemies or have been enemies throughout history. Much suffering and hatred has been sown around the world. Since the poetry of this book connects people from different parts of the world, I was unable to find a publisher and decided to publish it myself. I'm confident that this book will have the same effect on the global scale that Knots had on the Balkans.

A word from our collaborator Marilyn Hazelton:

In this amazing anthology, poets from many countries hold the shock and anguish of war within a loving and sorrowful gaze that recognizes the true costs to our shared humanity. I am encouraged by the variety of voices. The honesty of this effort is a step toward disassembling the machines of war and turning attention toward that challenging and intricate necessity called peace.

A word from our collaborator Kim Goldberg:

This landmark collection, interweaving hundreds of poetic voices from around the world, creates a powerful statement for peace and against war. I have never stood in a minefield, or toted a gun on my shoulder, or watched bombs bursting in the night sky over my city—at least not until I read this book. The sparseness of haiku leaves no room for illusion, no separation between reader and the scene described. Our comfort zone is stripped away poem after poem until we have no choice but to confront the full sweep of war and all its consequences. And in so doing, we end up defining our humanity more sharply. We become keenly aware of what we truly value. The American composer Leonard Bernstein once remarked “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” Kamesan’s World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations is a potent example of that strategy at work. Changing the world one poem at a time.

 What will your contribution cover?

At the moment the book is complete, well edited and completely proofread. Kuniharu Shimizu, graphic designer, has provided a cover design and the interior illustrations. Marilyn and Dan Hazelton, our collaborators on the book, are in the process of completing the book's layout. Your contribution will cover printing costs of the book as well as the cost of an ISBN number. With the funds raised we plan to print the book at the Tattered Cover Bookstore Press in February of 2013.

DON'T WAIT TO BUY THIS ANTHOLOGY AFTER PUBLICATION!

THE BOOK WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO THOSE TWO PRE-BUY IT ON THIS WEBSITE.

About the editor:

DIMITAR ANAKIEV aka KAMESAN, 亀さん, (b. 1960 in Belgrade) began to write and publish poetry at the age of 13, and began writing haiku in 1985. He is the “father” of many Balkan haiku projects such as Haiku Novine (Serbia), Prijatelj and Apokalipsa haiku editions (Slovenia). He is a co-founder of the World Haiku Association and co-editor of Knots: An Anthology of Southeastern European Haiku Poetry. Dimitar also edited the Slovenian haiku Anthology Pond of Silence and an anthology of anti-war haiku Piece of Sky. His awards include The Medal of Franz Kafka (Czech Republic), The Museum of Haiku Literature Award (Japan), the Haiku Society of America annual Merit Book Award and prizes from Mainichi Daily News, Daily Yomiuri (both Tokyo) and Azami (Osaka). In 2009 he won the Shamrock Haiku Journal Reader's Choice Award for best haiku. He has also won several film awards, including the National Slovenian Award for best documentary film.

About the graphic designer/illustrator:

KUNIHARU SHIMIZUwas born in Tenri, Nara, Japan in 1949, and moved to Hawaii at the age of 15. He returned to Japan in 1972 upon receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Hawaii. He continues to successfully pursue his creative efforts in the arts, which include graphic, editorial, and monument design as well as exhibition planning. In 2000, he started the website project See Haiku Here. This is a worldwide exhibition of Haiga (illustrated haiku) accomplished through the collaborative efforts of over 260 international haijin. He writes haibun and also short stories, one of which appeared in Red Leaves, a bilingual literary book published in Australia. He is currently one of the advisors to The World Haiku Association and Judge of the WHA Monthly Haiga Contest.

Awards and Other Honors: The Purchase Award at Artist of Hawaii Exhibition (Purchased for the permanent collection of the Academy of Art in Honolulu); First Place in Ichiretu-kai Scholarship Foundation Logo Mark Contest; First Place in Japan Toy Association Logo Mark Contest; Editor's Choice Runner-up, The Heron's Nest V;6 (2003); Special Mention, The Heron's Nest Valentine Awards (2003 and 2004); Second Prize in "Best of 2003"(Mainichi Daily News); Special Prize at the Mongolian Spring Festival Haiku Contest in Tokyo (April 2007); and Merit Based Scholarship Publishing through the Cole Foundation for The Arts in The Baker’s Dozen – Volume III.

Books Published: Four haiga e-books: water, wind, light, and life (SHH Press, May, 2010); Baker’s Dozen Volume III (Author House, October 21, 2010); Oku no Hosomichi haiga ebook (SHH Press, November 2010).

About the layout designers:

Layout is done by MARILYN & DAN HAZELTON of red lights, inc. Marilyn served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964-1973. She was stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (1969-1970) as the USAF Historian for 7/13th Air Force, and participates in events organized by Veterans for Peace. Sheis the editor of red lights, an international tanka journal. Her haiku, tanka, haibun, tanka prose and haiga have been published in a number of journals.

TO CONTRIBUTE/PRE-BUY use the window on the right side. Remember, this book will only be available to those who pre-buy it on this website.

Check out the GALLERY for photos of the books.

$35 — ANTHOLOGY ON WAR

Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), shipping included.

$52 — ANTHOLOGY ON WAR + CO HAIKU

$59 — ANTHOLOGY ON WAR + KNOTS

Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover) and Knots: The Anthology of Southeastern European Haiku Poetry (hard cover, special design), shipping included.

$67 — 2 COPIES OF THE ANTHOLOGY ON WAR

2 copies of Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), shipping included.

$72 — ANTHOLOGY ON WAR + 2 BOOKS

Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), Colorado Haiku: 40 poems by Dimitar Anakiev (soft cover) and Spontaneous Mind, 55 tanka poems from Boulder, CO by Dimitar Anakiev (soft cover), shipping included.

$76 — A PACKAGE OF 3 BOOKS

Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), Knots: The Anthology of Southeastern European Haiku Poetry (hard cover, special design) and Colorado Haiku: 40 poems by Dimitar Anakiev (soft cover), shipping included.

$94 — A PACKAGE OF 4 BOOKS

Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), Knots: The Anthology of Southeastern European Haiku Poetry (hard cover, special design), Colorado Haiku: 40 poems by Dimitar Anakiev (soft cover) and Spontaneous Mind, 55 tanka poems from Boulder, CO by Dimitar Anakiev (soft cover), shipping included.

$99 —3 COPIES OF THE ANTHOLOGY ON WAR

3 copies of Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), shipping included.

$129 — A PACKAGE OF 4 BOOKS + 3 DOCUMENTARIES

All of the books mentioned above + 3 author documentaries by Dimitar Anakiev on socially engaged topics (DVD region code 2 – not relevant for Apple users), shipping included.

Serbian Nails - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863385/

Last of the Žilniks - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863355/ or http://www.anakievproduction.com/last.html

Slovenia My Homeland - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2241567/ or http://www.anakievproduction.com/slovenia.html

$145 — A PACKAGE OF 4 BOOKS + 5 FILMS

All 4 books mentioned above + 3 author documentaries by Dimitar Anakiev on socially engaged topics (DVD region code 2 – not relevant for Apple users) + 2 fiction films by Dimitar Anakiev (region 2), shipping included.

You are the Only Boss in This House - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863438/ or http://www.anakievproduction.com/boss.html

Normal Life - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2377688/ or http://www.anakievproduction.com/normallife.html

$165 — 5 COPIES OF THE ANTHOLOGY ON WAR

5 copies of Kamesan's World Haiku Anthology on War, Violence and Human Rights Violations (soft cover), shipping included.