The Second European Haiku Conference in Sweden

WORLD HAIKU NEWS

Re: The Second European Haiku Conference in Vadstena, Sweden 8-10 June 2007

From: Kai Falkman
President of the Swedish Haiku Society

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The Second European Haiku Conference in Vadstena, Sweden 8-10 June 2007
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The Swedish Haiku Society (Svenska Haiku Sällskapet) plans to organize
the Second European Haiku Conference in the medieval town of Vadstena 8-10 June 2007.

Vadstena is located by lake Vättern between Stockholm and Gothenburg. It can be reached by train from Stockholm or Copenhagen to Linköping, where a chartered bus will meet to transport the participants to Vadstena (45 minutes).

The conference will take place in the premises of Vadstena Folkhögskola (The Vadstena College for Adult Education). The conference hall and the dining room are in the same building just by the lake. Across a lawn are the lodging-houses.

Registration fee per person is 1.800 kronor (165 €uro), including a single room with shower and toilet for two nights and the following meals:
Friday 8 June dinner and evening coffee; Saturday 9 June breakfast, lunch and dinner; Sunday 10 June breakfast and lunch.

Double rooms are available, costing 1.650 kronor (145 €uro) per person.

The fees also include the use of the conference hall with coffee, fruits, writing materials.

Participants who wish to stay over an extra night can do so at the price of 500 kronor (45 €uro)
which includes breakfast.

The conference language is English.

Those who wish to participate in the conference are asked to inform me and the local organizer of the College, Ms. Anna Andersson, before 10 April. The early dead-line is requested by the College so that rooms can be reserved well in advance, as many conferences take place in the summer at Vadstena. The e-mail address of Anna Andersson is anna@vadstena.fhsk.se

The name Vadstena means ”stones by the water” and refers to a manor building from the 13th century. In 1346 King Magnus Eriksson made a donation of the manor to a convent for Birgitta Birgersdotter, who in 1391 was canonized by the Pope as Sancta Birgitta. Since then Vadstena became an important centre for catholic pilgrims. In 1545 King Gustav Vasa built a castle in Vadstena which still stands by the lake.

The medieval town plan with its narrow, twisting streets have been preserved. The centre of the town lies 5 minutes walk from the College.

The closest train station is Linköping, which can be reached by train from Stockholm´s airport Arlanda, for instance from Arlanda at 14.10, reaching Linköping at 16.57. The same train leaves from Stockholm at 14.40.

Linköping can also be reached by train from Copenhagen´s airport Kastrup, for instance at 13.56, arriving at Linköping 16.55.

The Stockholm airport for cheap flights (Ryanair, Wizzair) and chartered flights is Skavsta south of Stockholm. It has direct bus connections with Linköping, for example leaving Skavsta 14.30 and 17.25, arriving at Linköping 90 minutes later. A train from Nyköping close to Skavsta leaves at 15.02, arriving at Linköping 16.28.

The Swedish Haiku Society has chartered a bus which leaves Linköping at 17.00, reaching Vadstena 45 minutes later.

The bus will also be used for return transport to Linköping on Sunday 10 June, leaving Vadstena after lunch at 13.00 hrs so that participants can take the train to Stockholm and Arlanda at 13.58, arriving in Stockholm 15.40 and at Arlanda 16.07. Trains from Stockholm to Arlanda leave every 15 minutes.

The first train to Kastrup and Copenhagen after lunch leaves Linköping at 14.00 hrs, arriving at Kastrup 17.23 and in Copenhagen 17.37.

Further information about the timetable of Swedish Railways (Statens Järnvägar, SJ) is available on internet www.sj.se.

The postal address of Anna Andersson is Vadstena Folkhögskola, Box 181,
S-59 224 Vadstena. Telephone +46 (0)143-157 00.

My postal address is Rindögatan 42, S-115 58 Stockholm. Telephone + 46 (0)8 661 76 47.
Mobile +46 (0)70 910 9971.

The Swedish Haiku Society hopes that many haiku poets from Europe will come to the conference as well as some special guests from Japan and USA.

A program will be sent to the participants after 10 April.

VÄLKOMMEN, WELCOME!


Kai Falkman
President of the Swedish Haiku Society