Bart Mesotten was born in 1923 in Diepenbeek and lives in Overijse. Since 1972 he devotes his time especially to the propagation of haiku by publishing books and articles and giving conferences. He was the driving force behind haiku in Flanders. From 1976 till 1996 he was the president-founder of the Haiku Centre Flanders. Till 1996 he was general editor of Vuursteen (Flint), a periodical completely devoted to haiku. In 2000 he received at Matsuyama (Japan) the prestigious 'Shiki International Haiku Award' for his contribution to a greater reputation and spread of haiku in the world outside of Japan. About haiku he published: "Dag, haikoe" (Hello, haiku) (1972), "Dag, pauwoog" (Hello, peacock butterfly) (1977), "Dag, licht" (Hello, light) (1980), "Gezegend die nacht - in memoriam patris" (Blessed this night - in memoriam patris) (1981), "De seizoenen van de appel" (The seasons of the apple) (1981), "Haikoe-boek" (Haiku book) (1986), "Een vis die opspringt" (A fish that jumps) (1989), "De tweede navelstreng breekt - in memoriam matris" (The second umbilical cord breaks - in memoriam matris) (1990), "Oog in oog - haikoe en senrioe" (Face to face - haiku and senryu) (1991), "Duizend kolibries - haikoe van hier en elders" (A thousand hummingbirds - haiku from here and elsewhere) (1993), "Een verre vogel - tweede hai-koeboek" (A distant bird - second haiku book) (1998), "Boven de wolken - derde haikoe-boek" (Above the clouds - Third haiku book) (2003).