An award for rengay was added to the list of annual contests sponsored by the Haiku Society of America in 2020. Named after the inventor of the form, the Haiku Society of America Rengay Award contest is only the second international-level competition for the new linked-verse form.
The first annual Rengay Award in Honor of Garry Gay, sponsored by the Haiku Society of America, took place in April and May 2020. Cash awards were $200 for 1st Prize, $100 for 2nd, and $50 for 3rd. Winning rengay were published in Frogpond and on the HSA website.
Garry Gay and Renée Owen, the judges for the inaugural contest, developed the following list of important ingredients to look for in an exemplary rengay and used it to inform their selections:
- Adherence to Form—2-person rengay (3/2/3/3/2/3) and 3-person rengay (3/2/3/2/3/2).
- Compelling Themes—at least one discernible primary theme with a possible bonus for a secondary theme.
- Universality of Meaning—why the poem matters and what it speaks to.
- Effective Haiku—preferably strong haiku that carry enough weight to stand on their own.
- Linking & Shifting—linking creates a pleasing flow, with 2-line stanzas linking well with the lines directly above and below, while the shift adds a new dimension.
- Interesting Title—especially compelling if it doesn’t echo a line from the first few stanzas.
- Exceptional Writing Style—incorporates poetic techniques, fresh imagery and word choices, a variety of sensory details, varied line/stanza structure, noteworthy sounds (like alliteration, consonance, etc.), avoids clichés and contains no spelling or grammatical errors.
- Sense of Mystery or Something Left Unsaid—to engage and stimulate the reader.
- Satisfactory Ending—a sense of completion and a possible link between the final and first stanza.
- Multiple Rereadings—the poem continues to deepen and hold our interest.
The full texts of the winning rengay in the 2021 competition are archived on the Haiku Society of America website, here, and the judges’ commentary here.
The names of the poets and their winning rengay are listed below.
Haiku Society of America Rengay Award
in Honor of Garry Gay, 2021
| Judges | John Thompson and Jacquie Pearce | |
| Contest Coordinator | Chuck Brickley, HSA Second Vice President | |
| Number of entries | 44 | |
| First Place | Joan Fingon and Orense Nicod | “Plein Air” |
| Second Place | Julie Schwerin and Angela Terry | “Bending the Light” |
| Third Place | Deborah P Kolodji and Billie Dee | “Perseverance” |
| Honorable Mention (5) | Marilyn Ashbaugh and Jeanne Cook | ”A Fading Memory” |
| Lori A Minor and Joshua Gage | ”Embodiment“ | |
| Kristen Lindquist and Alan S. Bridges | ”Golden Joinery“ | |
| Carol Judkins and Lorraine A. Padden | ”Letting Go“ | |
| Kristen Lindquist and Alan S. Bridges | ”The Eye of a Loon“ |
Haiku Society of America Rengay Award
in Honor of Garry Gay, 2020
| Judges | Garry Gay and Renée Owen | |
| Contest Coordinator | Chuck Brickley, HSA Second Vice President | |
| Number of entries | 68 from 6 countries | |
| First Place | Lew Watts and Tanya McDonald | “Left Behind” |
| Second Place | Jennifer Burd, Michele Root-Bernstein, and Laszlo Slomovits | “Spaces Between” |
| Third Place | Jennifer Burd, Michele Root-Bernstein, and Laszlo Slomovits | “Translating Twilight” |
| Honorable Mention (4) | Ron C. Moss and Simon Hanson | “Scorched Earth” |
David Terelinck and Beverley George | “Shifting Shale” | |
Angela Terry and Julie Warther | “Still the Daylilies” | |
John Thompson and Michael Sheffield | “Sunday Saunter” |
Compiled by: Chuck Brickley and the Haikupedia editors
Adapted from: “Annual Contests Sponsored by the HSA.” Haiku Society of America website: http://www.hsa-haiku.org/hsa-contests.htm; and “2020 Garry Gay Rengay Award Contest Judges’ Commentary.” Haiku Society of America website: http://hsa-haiku.org/rengayawards/rengay-judges2020.htm.
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