There can’t be many, if any, New Zealand writers who have won more awards than Ernest Berry of Picton.

Never heard of him? Neither had we, until we read a fine piece in The Marlborough Express.

Berry is a leading figure around the world among poets writing haiku – highly compressed verses of 17 syllables – and examples of his work are used in textbooks.

Berry reportedly wins 30 annual awards from international competitions, and recently scored two top-five placings in the NZ Poetry Society's 2003 International Poetry Competition.

Berry has had much of his work published in journals and publications in America, the United Kingdom and even Japan, where one of his haiku is used to promote a popular green tea drink.

There seems to be a burgeoning haiku scene in our country: if you’re ever in the vicinity of Katikati in the Bay of Plenty, check out the intriguing Haiku Pathway.