Polish International Haiku Competition

The annual Polish International Haiku Competition was inaugurated in 2011. It was organized for the first five years by Rafał Zabratyński, and in 2016 the recently formed Polish Haiku Association (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Haiku) took over administration of the competition. Poets worldwide are invited to submit one classically structured, original, and unpublished haiku in English. The judges award book prizes for first, second, and third place haiku and certificates for up to ten commendations.

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Guidelines

All poets anywhere in the world are invited to enter the Polish International Haiku Competition. Each applicant may submit one haiku that has not previously been published in any form nor currently under consideration in any other contest or publication. Multiple submissions are not accepted. Submissions must be in English, contain an acceptable kigo (season word) in accordance with the seasons in the applicant’s geographical location; be written in three lines, basically within the 5–7–5 syllable pattern but with no specifically required syllable count. There is no entry fee. The window for submissions is typically mid-November to mid-December.

Read the statement on the use of personal data required by the European Parliament and Council in this note.¹

Selections are made in a two-stage process: first, one or two pre-selectors read the submissions and prepare a shortlist. Then the final judge chooses first-, second-, and third-place winners and up to ten commended haiku and prepare their commentaries.

Awards are book prizes and certificate for prize winners and certificates for commended entries.

The results of the competition, including the judges’ comments on the winning haiku, are posted on the Polish Haiku Association website before December 31 of the competition year and also archived on the website.

The online entry form may be accessed at the competition website. Queries and other correspondence should also be directed to the competition website.

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12th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2022

Judges	Robert Kania, Final Judge Małgorzata Formanowska, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	318 from 54 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Prize	Brendon Kent, United Kingdom	sumi-e painting a crow breaks the snow’s silence
Second Prize	Maria Tomczak, Poland	deep winter the harmonious silence of the reeds
Third Prize	Aljoša Vuković, Croatia	scared starlings— a dog loans its voice to the scarecrow
Commendation (9) listed in alphabetical order of surnames	Bakhtiyar Amini, Germany	black clouds father’s face unreadable
	Keith Evetts, United Kingdom	winter fog we wind up in the middle of everywhere
	Željko Funda, Croatia	late autumn evening a drunkard is reciting sonnet eighteen
	Ravi Kiran, India	lifting fog a wildflower finds its colours
	Nina Kovačić, Croatia	window ajar … curtain catches the shapes of the autumn wind
	Indra Neil Mekala, India	winter solitude our photos in the album still stuck together
	Elena Naskova, North Macedonia	Spring thaw … the snow in my hair remains
	Eduard Țară, Romania	street lamp the first snowflakes show up from the invisible
	Susan Yavaniski, U.S.A.	bitter cold a streetlight shining on his pillow

11th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2021

Judges	Iliyana Stoyanova, Final Judge Wiesław Karliński, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	420 from 59 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Prize	Nadejda Kostadinova, Bulgaria	calm by the sea a little sand crab carries moonlight
Second Prize	Michael Henry Lee, U.S.A.	first snow imagine my child’s surprise
Third Prize	Scott Mason, U.S.A.	snowmelt the church carillon changes its tune
Commendation (10) listed in no particular order	Mirela Brăilean, Romania	autumn end— the spinster knits a scarf for the unborn snowman
	Mihai Moldoveanu, Mirco, Romania	kite taken by the wind— hide-and-seek among the clouds
	Angiola Inglese, Italy	remembering that scent of lime trees ….. the hour of the pill
	Polona Oblak, Slovenia	wild cherry the comings and goings of bees
	Stoianka Boianova, Bulgaria	autumn leaves the winds are scattering my loved ones
	Jonathan Aylett, U.K.	fading memories dry patches in the car park after a rainstorm
	Shanmao, Russian Federation	first day of winter icing sugar melts on a chocolate muffin
	Nadezhda Stanilova, Bulgaria	autumn evening I still look for my home in people’s eyes
	Lyudmila Hristova, Bulgaria	winter sun shining like silver dust on the piano
	Janina Kołodziejczyk, Italy	barbed wire on both sides of the border creaking frost

10th Jubilee Polish International Haiku Competition, 2020

Judges	Marta Chociłowska, Final Judge Robert Kania, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	320 from 52 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Prize	Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania	corner of the window— Hunter’s Moon and the spider same size
Second Prize	Tom Bierovic, U.S.A.	clap of thunder a heron unfolds into the echo
Third Prize	Ewa Moskalik, Poland	we are walking me and the autumn leaf on my shoe
Commendation (10) listed in alphabetical order of surnames	Alfred Booth, France	from dawn to dusk every color shimmers … first frost
	Sebastian Ciobîcă, Romania	swirling leaves … the old wish fountain fills with golden coins
	Anthony Itopa Obaro, Nigeria	end of war— frogs’ croaking fills an abandoned trench
	Semih Özmeriç, Turkey	cloudy harvest moon— fumes above the chimney of my late neighbour
	Kerstin Park, Sweden	beyond mist and dripping foliage —full moon
	Gregory Piko, Australia	morning fog the warmth of her horse’s breath
	Srinivas S, India	dry summer deep inside a well daylight dies
	Maria Teresa Sisti, Italy	silent nest— I hold another autumn inside the coat
	Debbie Strange, Canada	forgotten grave only the small bones of leaves remain
	Li Xiao, Russia	Christmas eve little angel picks his nose

9th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2019

Judges	Colin Blundell, Final Judge Robert Kania, Pre-selector Ernest Wit, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	360 from 55 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Prize	Marina Bellini, Italy	windy day the old neighbor rakes dead leaves
Second Prize	Shloka Shankar, India	winter sun … just enough warmth in your hug
Third Prize	Jerzy Małysz, Poland	silhouettes in fog on the back of the photo faded initials
Commendation (9) listed in no particular order	Vessislava Savova, Bulgaria	clear water just a single maple leaf
	Maria Teresa Sisti, Italy	autumn evening— your favorite tea in my cup
	Nikola Ðuretić, Croatia	winter evening every snow flake adding its share of silence
	Deborah Carl-Brandt, Germany	midsummer sky the frogs croak into the blue
	Barbara Strang, New Zealand	overnight frost your whiskers glistening in the morning sun
	Peter Jastermsky, USA	autumn’s end the last birdsong fades to wind
	Geethanjali Rajan, India	retirement home— mist smudges out a mountain peak
	Tomislav Sjekloća, Montenegro	winter moon she adjusts his necktie one last time
	Nazarena Rampini, Italy	Autumn sunset my mother tells me about heaven

8th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2018

Judges	Kala Ramesh, Final Judge Marta Chociłowska, Pre-selector Robert Kania, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	331 from 52 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Prize	Carl Seguiban, Canada	home-bound train— bare aspens stitching the earth and sky
Second Prize	Indra Neil Mekala, India	Women’s Day she applies makeup to her bruise
Third Prize	Klaus-Dieter Wirth, Germany	gentle breeze the lifted feathers of a seagull asleep
Commendation (10) listed in no particular order	Frank Williams, U.K.	blue twilight sitting on fallen leaves the shape of a fox
	Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland	summer night from an open window smooth jazz
	Stoianka Boianova, Bulgaria	dry lake the splash of water still heard
	Zvonko Jurčević, Croatia	full net a fisherman and seagulls haul the fish
	Jerzy Małysz, Poland	vacant nest in the broken lamp— house for sale
	Isabella Kramer, Germany	puddle all my wishes upside down
	Anthony Itopa Obaro, Nigeria	summer dawn we jog from birdsong to birdsong
	Marina Bellini, Italy	raking leaves I watch the dogs chasing the wind
	Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia	fading light … alone with the cry of a cicada
	Boris Nazansky, Croatia	steeple pierces the leaden December sky call of the crow

7th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2017

Judges	Hidenori Hiruta, Final Judge Marta Chocilowska, Pre-selector Robert Kania, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Coordinator
Number of entries	366 from 54 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website Akita International Haiku Network website
First Prize	Darrell Lindsey, U.S.A.	spring garden the color returns to her cheeks
Second Prize	Indra Neil Mekala, India	mom’s lullaby— the full moon now halved by sardine clouds
Third Prize	Mohammad Azim Khan, Pakistan	morning frost granddaughter measures my footprint
Commendation (10) listed in seasonal order	Nancy Brady, U.S.A.	first steps … catching cherry blossoms in chubby fist
	Zlata Bogović, Croatia	Sound of raindrops dispersing our silence under an umbrella.
	Veronika Zora Novak, Canada	by moonlight … i slip into the stars of my kimono
	John Hawkhead, U.K.	Autumn moon the burnt almond scent as she leaves the room
	David McMurray, Japan	one last look before getting on the tourist bus— maples in Senshu Park
	Maria Piasecka, Poland	snip of paper— painting in a black ink an autumn leaf
	Minh-Triêt Pham, France	autumn wildflowers— feeling like picking one up on her party dress
	Pasquale Asprea, Italy	Snow at night hidden under the wing the duck’s head
	Andy McLellan, U.K.	winter evening I knit another row of stars
	Lorin Ford, Australia	winter alone … sometimes a chimney gust stirs the embers

6th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2016

Judges	David McMurray, Final Judge Robert Kania, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	396 from 57 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Prize	Andy Burkhart, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.	bitter cold a woodpecker knocks for breakfast
Second Prize	Anna Maris, Hässleholm, Sweden	harvest festival my shadow on the wall still a young woman
Third Prize	Indra Neil Mekala, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India	paddy field— the farmer plows through a sea of clouds
Commendation (11) listed in seasonal order	Michael Dylan Welch, Sammamish, Washington, U.S.A.	falling blossoms … I can say nothing that’s not been said before
	Lavana Kray, Iași, Romania	May fragrances— the old man takes a selfie with a dry plum tree
	Olivier Schopfer, Geneva, Switzerland	wildflower seeds carried by the wind the words I didn’t say
	Gordana Vlašić, Oroslavje, Croatia	Felled tree. Its green leaves suspect nothing.
	Andrius Luneckas, Vilnius, Lithuania	summer holiday greeted with hugs my old friend scarecrow
	Alan Summers, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England	painting a forest another of the red leaves caught on an easel
	Elena Naskova, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.	autumn rains … the dampness settles deep inside me
	Magdalena Banaszkiewicz, Zielona Góra, Poland	end of the alley from an old man’s shoulders falling leaves
	Eduard Țară, Iași, Romania	sweeping leaves— always one step behind the silence
	Maria Tomczak, Opole, Poland	blazing sunset how warm are the tones of the fresh snow

5th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2015

Judges	Agnieszka Żuławska-Umeda, Final Judge Rafał Zabratyński, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Originator
Number of entries	336 from 41 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Place	Stanka Boneva, Varna, Bulgaria	a dandelion in the window box I dare not breathe
Second Place	Quendryth Young, Alstonville, N.S.W., Australia	broken glass some of the shards glisten
Third Place	Marinko Kovačević, Praputnjak, Croatia	a puppy licking the moonlight off its paws
Commendation (10) listed alphabetically by haiku	Keith Simmonds, Rodez, France	a housewife sweeps up the aroma of spring … glow of cherry blooms
	Alina Kizierowska, Borówiec, Poland	Between one raindrop And just the following one— It is not raining
	Robert Kania, Warsaw, Poland	fourth anniversary— only the wind sweeps the leaves from the grave
	Owen Bullock, Canberra, Australia	harbour light show— a little boy points out the half-moon
	Vasile Moldovan, Bucharest, Romania	hidden deep beneath the morning glory hero’s name
	Engin Gülez, Ankara, Turkey	no stars tonight— my daughter brings me a jar of fireflies
	Daniela Lacramioara Capotă, Galați, Romania	only the wind whistling from time to time— abandoned train station
	Sergiu Vlad, Botoșani, Romania	still lake out of the blue a water lily
	Sneha Sundaram, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A.	summer vacation even the sun jumps into the ocean
	Rob Woods Darwin, Australia	yellow blossoms fall into a street of yellow blossoms

4th Polish International Haiku Competition, 2014

Judges	Rafał Zabratyński, Final Judge George Swede, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Coordinator
Number of entries	386 from 47 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Place	Ramesh K, Adyar, India	long afternoon … the church spire shade reaches the beggar
Second Place	Alexey Andreev, Moscow, Russia	silence breaking in two a log on the fire
Third Place	Cherese Cobb, Maryville, United States	the scarecrow slips the harvest moon into his sleeve
Commendation (10) listed alphabetically by haiku	Olivier Schopfer, Geneva, Switzerland	after our argument fireflies on the way home
	Florin C. Florian, Botoșani, Romania	delaying the night falling field of rapeseed
	Steliana Cristina Voicu, Ploiești, Romania	grace of the night— a swan leans to pick up a falling star
	Boris Nazansky, Zagreb, Croatia	late autumn the old stump is in leaf
	Nikolay Grankin, Krasnodar, Russia	on the drawn heart walking doves inside … outside…
	Julie Warther, Dover, United States	open lotus a pond makes room for the rain
	Marta Chociłowska, Warsaw, Poland	rendezvous— on my lips Indian summer
	Helen Buckingham, Wells, Great Britain	wildlife park lovers peck at baguettes and each other
	Terry Ann Carter, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada	wild roses— the way she ties back her hair
	Maria Kowal-Tomczak, Opole, Poland	wind chill among trembling leaves more and more sky

3rd Polish International Haiku Competition, 2013

Judges	George Swede, Final Judge Rafał Zabratyński, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Coordinator
Number of entries	369 from 47 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Place	Julie Warther, Dover, Ohio, U.S.A.	breaching whale the time between too soon and too late
Second Place	Ernest J Berry, Blenheim, New Zealand	august mist the magnificence of thought
Third Place	Bouwe Brouwer, Emmeloord, Netherlands	street musician the winter cold passes through his accordion
Commendation (10) listed alphabetically by haiku	Mihail Buraga, Bucharest, Romania	daylight kiss in all the crowd just you and me
	Seren Fargo, Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A.	first thaw— a hawk leans further toward its target
	Niiko Jesensky, London, U.K.	grey rainy day she polishes silverware third time round
	Sandra Simpson, Tauranga, New Zealand	late strawberries— the story of how he saved me gets a bit longer
	Kevin Goldstein-Jackson, Poole, Dorset, U.K.	lost for words exploring blank paper a fly
	Daniel Richard, Millom, Cumbria, U.K.	migrating birds— I leave a note for her on the fridge
	Dietmar Tauchner, Puchberg, Austria	mountain long before i was an idea
	Andrea Cecon, Cividale del Friuli, Udine, Italy	our first date the redness of maple leaves
	Jan Dobb, Canberra, Australia	season’s end the colours of rust in a scrap yard
	Yesha Shah, Surat, Gujarat, India	twilight helping mother take baby steps

2nd Polish International Haiku Competition, 2012

Judges	Jim Kacian, Final Judge Rafał Zabratyński, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Coordinator
Number of entries	312 from 40 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Place	Roberta Beary, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A.	autumn moon her brain a tangle of white string
Second Place	Dietmar Tauchner, Puchberg, Austria	2nd hand bookshop i release the smell of time
Third Place	Alan Bridges, Littleton, Massachusetts, U.S.A.	shooting stars the pop of gravel on a country road
Commendation (10) listed alphabetically by haiku	Agnieszka Malinowska, Zgierz, Poland	double rainbow— people working in the fields are standing up
	Raj Bose, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.	Lost I follow my dog’s bark into the fog
	Marleen Hulst, Musselkanaal, Netherlands	obituary a gust of wind touches the hedge
	Sanja Petrov Vlahović, Oprtalj, Croatia	Roasted chestnuts the sweet scent brightens this cloudy day
	Quendryth Young, Alstonville, Australia	steady rain each surface tolls its own tone
	Sergio Ortiz, San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S.A.	terminally ill a snowman melts into darkness
	Anna Goluba, Warsaw, Poland	The wishing well— Just a few words In all languages
	Nola Borrell, Lower Hutt, New Zealand	wild coast the sea still sorting stones
	Darrell Lindsey, Nacogdoches, Texas, U.S.A.	winter moonlight— some shattered glass between fingers
	Eduard Țară, Iași, Romania	Year’s end— the old suitcase still waiting at the door

1st Polish International Haiku Competition, 2011

Judges	Jane Reichhold, Final Judge Rafał Zabratyński, Pre-selector
Contest administration	Krzysztof Kokot, Coordinator Grzegorz Sionkowski, Secretary
Number of entries	304 from 41 countries
Announcement of winners	Polish Haiku Association website
First Place	Cynthia Rowe, Woollahra, Australia	tidal flats the white-faced heron wades into a rainbow
Second Place	Klaus-Dieter Wirth, Viersen, Germany	late summer breeze vesper bells begin to bronze the evening sky
Third Place	Bouwe Brouwer, Emmeloord, Netherlands	dawn— winter light slides into my slippers
Commendation (10) listed alphabetically by haiku	Adrian Bouter, Gouda, Netherlands	an old typewriter in the quiet of morning the woodpecker’s work
	G. R. LeBlanc, Dieppe, Canada	ashes to ashes the north star still burns
	Eryk Margolak, Kielce, Poland	election evening the zigzag flight path of a firefly
	Wolfgang Beutke, Barum, Germany	rain forest the sharp blade of a parrot’s cry
	Alexander Joy, Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A	shoreline the sea spray breaks into seagulls
	Andra Andronic, Botoșani, Romania	summer rain— the church bells soothing my pain
	John McManus, Carlisle, Cumbria, U.K.	summer’s end wringing the ocean from her hair
	Guy Vanden Broeck, Avelgem, Belgium	Virgin snow— that queer urge to leave traces
	Margaret Beverland, Katikati, New Zealand	wading naked into the mountain stream … the blue blue sky
	Katherine Gallagher London, U.K.	waiting for the bus— a small boy measures his shoe against his father’s

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Authors: Polish Haiku Association and the Haikupedia Editors

Adapted from information, archives, and contest statistics on the Polish Haiku Association website.

Note

1. Accessing the competition is tantamount to consenting to the processing of the participant’s personal data for the purposes necessary to organize and conduct the competition and with the consent of the authors of the awarded and commended haiku for publication on the internet site psh.org.pl. Expressing consent is voluntary, but necessary to participate in the competition in accordance with the Act of 10 May 2018 on the protection of personal data (Journal of Laws from 2018, item 1000) and in accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and Council (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC. The administrator of personal data is the Polish Haiku Association, ul. Kacza 6 m. 65, 01-013 Warsaw. [↩]