The inaugural Africa Haiku Prize, a project of the Africa Haiku Network, was awarded in 2020. The annual competition is open to Africans and non-Africans alike, with no restriction as to residence, nationality, or age.
Submission Guidelines
The following submission guidelines for the Africa Haiku Prize are derived from the announcement for the 2020 contest in the Africa Haiku Network website.
Only haiku are eligible for this competition. No senryu , sequences, tanka, haiga, haibun, or any other Japanese-style forms are acceptable.
The Africa Haiku Prize competition is open to everyone with the exception of members of the Africa Haiku Network editorial team. There is no restriction on submitter’s residence, nationality, or age.
There is no special category for youth haiku at the moment.
There is no fee to submit.
A minimum of two (2) and maximum of five (5) haiku may be submitted for this contest. Please indicate the section—African Category or Non-African Category—under which you submit your poems. A person cannot submit poems in both categories—one category only.
Africa-themed haiku—i.e., haiku about African sights, sounds, and settings— are preferred. Haiku about locales other than Africa will not be accepted, although poems on universal themes may be considered.
The use of wording that suggests or pertains to the seasons in Africa, as opposed to the Japanese kigo , is preferred.
Haiku must contain clear images, settings, and juxtaposition.
Haiku must be concise. Verses written in fewer than 17 syllables are preferable, though well-written haiku in the classic 5–7–5–syllable structure are acceptable.
One-word, one-line, vertical, and concrete haiku are not accepted.
Plagiarism, profanity, and politically motivated verses are not tolerated. Poems that have been previously published or are under consideration elsewhere, including contests, are not acceptable.
The submission window is open from April 1 to June 30 every year. Submissions are accepted via email only (i.e., no postal submissions) and should be sent to the Africa Haiku Network, africahaikunetwork@gmail.com. Email messages should carry “Africa Haiku Prize” in the subject line. The body of the message should contain the haiku submissions, the poet’s name, and his/her country of residence. No attachments.
Adjudication is by one or more judges appointed by the Africa Haiku Network. Judging is conducted double-blind, that is, submitting poets do not know the identity of the judges and the judges do not know the authors of the poems they are seeing. The judges’ decisions are final and may only be reversed for a violation of contest rules.
The 1st Prize winners in each category receive small gifts and a certificate; 2nd and 3rd Prize winners receive a certificate only. Other distinguished entries may be awarded Honourable Mention.
Contest results together with the names of the judges will be announced between July and August on the AHN website and its social media platforms. Prize-winners and Honorable Mentions will be personally notified by email before the public announcement.
The latest guidelines for the Africa Haiku Prize may be viewed here.
2nd Africa Haiku Prize, 2021
| Judging Panel | Adjei Agyei-Baah, Emmanuel J. Kalusian, Celestine Nudanu, Justice Joseph Prah, and Kwaku Feni Adow | |
Compiler | Kwaku Feni Adow | |
| Number of entries | 406 from 33 countries | |
| AFRICAN CATEGORY | ||
| First Prize | Gabriel Awuah Mainoo, Ghana | shrine ritual a toad’s solo deviates from the incantation |
| Second Prize | Anthony Itopa Obaro, Nigeria | refugees’ night— the camp filled with battle cries of mosquitoes |
| Third Prize | Priscilla Arthur, Ghana | rainy day her thirst for sunlight |
| Honourable Mentions (2) | Oluwasegun Adesina, Nigeria | Independence Day— the chicks wander around without mother hen |
Pralini Naidoo, South Africa | misty morning a thousand valleys hide their secrets | |
| NON-AFRICAN CATEGORY | ||
| First Prize | Alexander Shytkovskiy, Ukraine | pyramid shadow an ant drags the moth’s wing |
| Second Prize | Zoran Doderović, Serbia | dry riverbed a boat in the mud awaits rainy season |
| Third Prize | Teji Sethi, India | jungle safari all necks stretched up towards a giraffe |
| Honourable Mentions (3) | Željko Funda, Varazdin, Croatia | savanna at night stars, stars, stars and hyena eyes |
| Richa Sharma, India | Africa Day an elephant’s silhouette drinks sunset | |
| Helen Barysheva, Russia | night snowfall— photos of the Sahara keep me warm |
1st Africa Haiku Prize, 2020
| Judging Panel | Adjei Agyei-Baah, Emmanuel J. Kalusian, Celestine Nudanu, and Justice Joseph Prah | |
| Compiler | Kwaku Feni Adow | |
| Number of entries | 201 from 55 countries | |
| AFRICAN CATEGORY | ||
| First Prize | Mercy Ikuri, Kenya | approaching curfew quickened steps shuffle past padlocked shops |
| Second Prize | Anthony Itopa Obaro, Nigeria | sacred river … worshippers fill their bottles with goddess’s blessings |
| Third Prize | Precious Oboh, Nigeria | midday drizzle— a loneliness overgrown with green moss |
| Honourable Mention | Ugwu Erochukwu Shedrach, Nigeria | varsity strike— only the chirp of birds in the campus |
| NON-AFRICAN CATEGORY | ||
| First Prize | Mohammad Azim Khan, Pakistan | Mara river … the approaching thunder of hooves |
| Second Prize | Andrija Osman, Croatia | soundless night— an owl on a chilled branch following shadows |
| Third Prize | Sandra Simpson, New Zealand | midday heat … village cattle flicking their tails out of synch |
| Honourable Mention (3) | Tomislav Maretić, Croatia | Sahara horned wiper1 waiting in the dune— hidden devil’s eyes |
| Saumya Bansal, India | sunken sun old baobabs still lit | |
| Mona Iordan, Romania | sundown flamingo hues washed over the lake |
Related Haikupedia Articles
Africa Haiku Network
Compiled by Kwaku Feni Adow and the Haikupedia editors
Notes
- Surely “viper,” Cerastes cerastes, is intended. [↩]