Acclaimed Wanganui author Joan Rosier-Jones said even though haiku workshops for schoolchildren on Saturday at the Whanganui Regional Museum did not attract huge numbers, the students who did attend wrote some great poems.
The haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry.
Haiku consist of three lines, the first and last lines having five syllables and the middle line containing seven syllables. The lines rarely rhyme.
Mrs Rosier-Jones said writing haiku was an art, and the best advice was to use your finger while counting your syllables.
"I always have to count on my fingers to get it right," she said with a laugh.