Birth date: 23.08.1948.

Family: Married, two children

Address: Fuljatkov brijeg 32, Zagreb 10060, Croatia

Telephone: 385 01 4574 519, Mobile 091 4574 519

E-mail visnja.mcmaster@zg.htnet.hr

Education:

Elementary: Koper, Slovenia

Secondary: Classical Grammar School, 16^th Grammar School, Zagreb, Croatia (1963-67)

Tertiary: Philosophical Faculty, Zagreb University (1967-72)

Employment:

1972-73 English teacher Self-employed, Lublin, Poland

1973-76 English teacher “The Fuzieh School of English”, Tehran, Iran

1976-78 Foreign Accounts Manager “Propagand”, Tehran, Iran

1980-1991 Foreign Lecturer Shokei Girls’ College, Sendai, Japan

1983-1991 Foreign Lecturer Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

1991-2006 Translator Freelance, Zagreb, Croatia

2002 TV presenter “The Paths of Croatian Haiku”, NHK, Japan

2000-2008 Founder & CEO “Sweet Posy of Zagreb”

Interests

Education, innovation, ecology, organic agriculture, Haiku poetry, culture, poetry, writing, publishing, editing, photography, commercialization of own innovations, citizen’s activism, democracy activism, green policies advocation Volunteer Work throughout

Awards

· 2000 – 2004 Three international silver medals and one gold medal for innovations (London, Nurnberg, Moscow, Pittsburgh).

· Diplomas, certificates and awards for innovations, entrepreneurship and production of souvenirs.

· 2002 – UNECE Portrait Gallery of Excellent Women Enerpreneurs

· 2004 – the GWIIN Top Ten Women Innovators Global Award

· 2005 – EXPO in Aichi, Japan: Global 100 Eco-Tech Award for Sweet Posy of Zagreb

· Numerous international prizes for achievements in the field of haiku and haiku in education.

Photography awards (Asahi, Mainichi), Japan.

Publications:

2 books of poetry, 1995 (Ceres) and 1996 (FS), Zagreb

Anthology of Croatian Haiku, 2000 (ACHP), Zagreb

Innovative Teaching Game, Haiku cards, 2000 (ACHP), Zagreb

Poems and haiku published in numerous international anthologies, magazines & other publications, 1985 - 2007.

General:

Editing : “Haiku” magazine, editor in chief, ACHP, 1998 – 2002

“Culture of Japan”, a 5-volume series, ACHP, 2000

“Haiku” series /4 books, Ceres, 1998 - 2004

Articles: JAL inflight magazine, WINDS: photo & text packages, 1986 – 1990

TOKYO NEWSLETTER, articles on Japanese culture, 1987-8

In the field of haiku, award-winning article: Haiku in education, WHF London 2000

In the field of haiku, a major role in a NHK TV haiku documentary, filmed in Japan, 45 min., 2002

In the field of haiku, a presenter in a NHK TV haiku documentary, filmed in Croatia, 74 minutes, 2002

UN New York: DPI/NGO Briefing, 18 May 2006: “The role of poetry in preserving cultural identity”

Regular contributions at national and international economy and entrepreneurial conferences, symposia and other meetings, 2000 – 2008

Regular contributions at national and international haiku conferences, symposia and other meetings, 2000 – 2008

Regular judge at national and international haiku competitions.

Regular workshops at home and abroad with the Haiku cards game

Regular photography and photo-haiga exhibitions at Zagreb and national galleries, schools and libraries, 2000 - 2008

Regular public appearances through the media and public lectures

Since February 2007, publishing daily haiku blog as an interactive experiment/ haiku-related research in reaching out with poetic impact aimed at a young audience: http://laughinggranny.blog.hr/index.html

Since August 2008: Registered Ecological Producer in agriculture