"In our mercantile world we judge things by their size: here Robert Crawford gives us an essential biography of the haiku, that tiniest and most popular of poetic forms, supporting William James' contention when offered a minuscule bust of Locke: "Anybody can have a statue; but a statuette--that indeed is immortality.'"--Alberto Manguel, author of The Library at Night "Packed with vivid stories and personalities, this is a hugely enjoyable journey through haiku's conquest of the global poetic imagination."--Christopher Harding, author of The Light of Asia "Haiku are like those paper flowers that expand in water: a small act of magic. Crawford's book attends to the historical moments when haiku hit the water and blossomed in Britain, America and around the world. Always intriguing, frequently illuminating, and wryly funny."--Sara Lodge, author of The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective "Scholarly but sprightly, Robert Crawford's global biography of haiku tells us everything we need to know about the history and development of this most delicate/resilient of poetic forms. In the process, it also gives a multitude of fresh insights into those writers who have helped to create its popularity--showing us the world by concentrating on the poetic equivalent of a grain of sand."--Andrew Motion, poet, novelist and biographer.