The Brighton Virtual Festival begins on Saturday with a project to distribute original poetry using mobile phones.

The tradional Japanese poetry style Haiku is a direct form of writing designed to express emotions as simply as possible.

There are many rules and variations but the basic format is to create a three-line poem using 17 syllables.

Children in Brighton and Hove have been learning Haiku and a database of their work has been compiled for distribution during the festival.

Thirteen-year-old Jack Fleming of Blatchington Mill School, has had his poem, Winter Chill, listed on the festival's web site ready for phone distribution.

It reads:

As winter chill sets in Sitting on the stony beach I'm wrapped up warm Virtual Festival goers are being urged to sign up to receive examples of the poems.

Project manager Mark Walker said: "We will be sending out a poem each working day of the festival. People can visit our site to register to receive the poetry which we will select at random.

"The Haiku style is perfectly suited to this kind of project because it fits into the character limits for mobile phone text messaging."

The festival also includes a roadshow with free internet access, starting at the Low Tide event in Rottingdean on Saturday. It runs in tandem with the main Brighton Festival from May 5 to 27.

The Haiku section has been sponsored by thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk and supported by new media company WapMX.

thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk
www.virtualfestival.org.uk