Running into the Future
desti.nation.haiku: a project for our times
The book is a record of the Destinations we ran or walked to in the first 10 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
The UK government instructions were:-
All Destinations were in the moorland to the south-west of Sheffield, accessible on foot from our homes. We had previously run in groups each Sunday morning a little further afield, but now we were encouraged to explore the open spaces closer to home.
Each week we received a new grid reference and the associated “what3words” which we used to navigate independently to each Destination. There we signed a notepad hidden in a “Gold Block” tobacco tin. Though not running in our groups anymore, this meant we retained the sense of doing something together.
The poems are Haikus, inspired by each Destination’s “what3words” and written by those of us taking part. Many of the photos were taken on our mobile phones, giving a good representation of each day and the sense of achievement in reaching the Destination.
Reviews of "desti.nation.haiku"
I was genuinely surprised by desti.nation.haiku. As soon as I had read the introduction, this little book grabbed my attention. Visually stimulating, tactile, creative, and interesting, it reflects a tough year as seen by a group of people finding a pragmatic way to remain positive, without forgetting the realities of what’s happening around us. I hope it inspires other groups regardless of Covid-19.
Ten destinations
By Sunday morning runners
But where next Martin?
Chris Harle (The “Bookman” at Outside in Hathersage).
"desti.nation.haiku"
This exquisite book is the real deal. From the gold lettering on the spine visible from its purple, boxed pocket to the beautiful photographs, the creative haikus and the humorous, quirky line drawings, Martin - enthusiastically supported by Jane, Laura, Julie and friends - has created a beautiful product.
He has captured his original desire to keep us healthy in body and mind through Lockdown 2020 which, those of the running groups who could, jumped at. We were straining at the leash. The destination runs gave us a focus and motivation to continue to get out into the hills, take some deep breaths and maintain a sense of community through those difficult days. We were inspired and would not be denied our ’Sunday’ (or any-day!) runs.
Set against the backdrop of the COVID 19 pandemic, the book chronicles the development of the idea from its inception to its completion of the 10th run, in words and pictures of the highest order. It reflects the spirit of a group of outdoor enthusiasts for whom the Sunday runs are an integral part of their week. This is a book I will treasure for evermore and I’m sure others will too.
Jill Langley
"desti.nation.haiku"
This is a remarkable publishing venture. Underlying it are a collection of profound-but-simple ideas on human creativity, co-operation and love-of nature. This book contains 116 maps, line-sketches and beautiful colour photographs of 10 remote places in the Peak District. Accompanying these illustrations are 90 haikus written by Martin's friends who collectively visited these places.
To appreciate this book, it helps to know a few basic facts about haikus. Haiku-writing, today is a worldwide creative activity. It owes its prominence to the activities of Japan's most famous poet, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694). He is known today for his writing skill (and by the Japanese for his calligraphy and his ink paintings). But these skills were just outcomes of his other very major activities, notably his engagement with the natural world, (He would walk for months through Japanese wildernesses) and his role as a mentor to poets all over Japan. He did this not by formal teaching. He travelled from village to village gathering together a crowd who would link their poems to a topic and review each other's works. Laid-back and friendly.
How to compare the other 100+ modern books on haiku that I have read with Martin's?
Martin's is the book that will most inspire newcomers to trek out to some remote place and to share their feelings with each other. Many of these haikus are immediate rough-edged pieces of work that will get better and better, happier and happier, and healthier and healthier as the reader appreciates the thinking behind each one of them.
So believe me. Just like Basho, Martin has initiated a creative, co-operative endeavour that deserves to spread throughout the world.
Mike Hayes