Poems for Watanabe Seitei

Watanabe Seitei (渡辺 省亭, 1851 - 1918), also known as Watanabe Shōtei, was a Japanese Nihonga painter who was one of the first Japanese painters to visit Europe, attending the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris and being awarded a medal. He blended Western realism with the delicate colours and washes of the Kikuchi Yōsai school, introducing a new approach to kachōga (bird-and-flower painting).

In late 2023 we challenged poets to create poetry based upon the artwork of Watanabe Seitei, and the poems produced were simply stunning.

Poems for Watanabe Seitei is a beautifully produced anthology that is both beautiful and full of beauty, featuring a selection of poetry from 21 poets, alongside some of the work that inspired it.

Poetry is included from:

1. Margaret Royall
2. Rhiannon Lewis
3. Sharron Green
4. Nigel Kent
5. Sarah O’Grady
6. Patricia M Osborne
7. Brian McManus
8. Carol Lee Saffioti-Hughes
9. John Herington
10. Isabel Miles
11. Oz Hardwick
12. Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon
13. Christine Tokunaga
14. Saskia Ashby
15. Hazel Starritt
16. Greta Ross
17. Jackie Truman
18. Moira Garland
19. Cassia Stevens
20. Felice Hardy
21. Mick Yates