The Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems were first presented by The Haiku Foundation in 2011 for works (haiku and senryu published in 2010) that represent noteworthy additions to English-language haiku in the estimation of a distinguished panel of haiku poets, editors, and scholars.
Since 2011 the Haiku Foundation’s Touchstone awards for excellence in haiku in the previous year have been given out in two categories, Individual Poems and Distinguished Books. Selections in each category are made by a separate panel of prominent haiku poets, editors, and scholars who typically serve a three-year term. The process is overseen by an awards committee chair: Jim Kacian was the first to perform this task, replaced by Mark Harris, and then, since 2015, Bruce H. Feingold.
Nominations for the annual Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems are accepted from any individual who has had at least one haiku or senryu published during the award year. A person may nominate no more than two haiku or senryu, one of which may be his or her own. For the purposes of this award, publication is constituted by, but not limited to, first appearance in a juried public venue such as a book, journal, online site, or contest. The Selection Panel reserves the right to determine whether a poem meets this criterion. Work by members of the Selection Panel, Committee members, and THF Board members are not eligible for consideration. A nomination form with detailed instructions is available on The Haiku Foundation website.
The Selection Panel selects a shortlist of typically about thirty haiku or senryu, then a few weeks later announces six to eight winning entries. Award laureates receive an etched glass plaque with their winning poem. Competition results are announced on The Haiku Foundation website.
Below are listed, most recent first, the name of the poets who won the Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems for the years from 2010 to the present, the publication in which each poem appeared, and links to The Haiku Foundation’s web pages, with the text of the winning poems and the Selection Panel’s comments.
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2019
Selection Panel:
| Chuck Brickley Susan Constable Anna Maris Christopher Patchel Wally Swist Michelle Tennison |
Nominations: Nearly 900
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (6):
| Gregory Longenecker, The Heron’s Nest 21:2 Leanne Mumford, Echidna Tracks 2: Landscapes (March 17, 2019) Polona Oblak, The Heron’s Nest 21:4 Renée Owen, Modern Haiku 50:2 Robin Anna Smith, 7th Annual Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Awards, 3rd Place Julie Warther, Acorn 42 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (24):
| Adjei Agyei-Baah, Wales Haiku Journal, Spring 2019 Francine Banwarth, The Heron’s Nest 21:3 Sondra J. Byrnes, Sonic Boom 15 Paul Chambers, Presence 67 Simon Chard, Presence 64 Sarah-Jane Crowson, Wales Haiku Journal, Autumn 2019 Lucia Fontana, Failed Haiku 46 Lorin Ford, The Heron’s Nest 21:2 Warren Gossett, Acorn 42 Lee Gurga, Mariposa 40 Elmedin Kadric, Presence 64 Marietta McGregor, The Heron’s Nest 21:4 John McManus, Hedgerow 129 Lori A Minor, Troutswirl Blog (The Haiku Foundation) Ben Moeller-Gaa, Hedgerow 129 Bryan Rickert, The Heron’s Nest 21:2 Chad Lee Robinson, Acorn 43 Dan Schwerin, Modern Haiku 50:3 Charlie Shiotani, The Heron’s Nest 21:4 Debbie Strange, Seashores 2 Debbie Strange, Shamrock 42 Debbie Strange, Acorn 42 Mary Weiler, Frogpond 42:2 Lucy Whitehead, Modern Haiku 50.3 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2018
Selection Panel:
| Terry Ann Carter Gary Hotham Renée Owen Michele Root-Bernstein Wally Swist Dietmar Tauchner |
Nominations: More than 800
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (6):
| Susan Burch, Marlene Mountain Memorial Haiku Contest 2018, FemkuMag Elinor Pihl Huggett, Geppo 43:3 Jessica Malone Latham, Mariposa 39 Tanya McDonald, Mariposa 38 Chad Lee Robinson, Frogpond 41:3 John Stevenson, Frogpond 41:2 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (25):
| Barnabas I. Adeleke, The Heron’s Nest 20:4 Elizabeth Alford, Stardust Haiku 20 Debbi Antebi, The Heron’s Nest 20:1 Faten Anwar, The Mamba 6 Betty Arnold, Yuki Teikei Haiku Society 2018 Members’ Anthology Paul Chambers, Acorn 41 Claire Everett, The Heron’s Nest 20:1 Florin C. Florian, Johnny Baranski Memorial Haiku Contest, 2018 Robert Gilliland, Mariposa 38 Eufemia Griffo, Modern Haiku 49:2 Engin Gülez, Little Haiku Contest, 2017 (Iris) John Hawkhead, The Heron’s Nest 20:1 David J Kelly, Frogpond 41:1 paul m., Acorn 40 Ron C. Moss, Acorn 40 Guy Nesom, Mayfly 64 Polona Oblak, Presence 60 Bryan Rickert, Modern Haiku 49:1 Joseph Robello, Mariposa 39 Chad Lee Robinson, Mariposa 38 Maureen Sexton, Creatrix 43 Sushma A. Singh, The Heron’s Nest 20:4 Debbie Strange, Mariposa 39 Debbie Strange, Shamrock 40 Max Verhart, Chrysanthemum 24 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2017
Selection Panel:
| Gary Hotham Ron C. Moss Renée Owen Michele Root-Bernstein Dietmar Tauchner Diane Wakoski |
Nominations: 730
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (6):
| Frances Angela, Acorn 38 Cherie Hunter Day, Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Award, 2017 (Modern Haiku 48:2) Rajandeep Garg, Modern Haiku 48:3 Michele L. Harvey, The Heron’s Nest 19:3 Sharon Pretti, Frogpond 40:2 John Shiffer, Acorn 38 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (25):
| Frances Angela, Modern Haiku 48:2 Debbi Antebi, Presence 58 Debbi Antebi, Tinywords 17:2 Bill Cooper, The Heron’s Nest 19:4 Robert Epstein, The Heron’s Nest 19:2 Seren Fargo, Frogpond 40:2 Lucia Fontana, Chrysanthemum 22 Ruth Holzer, Frogpond 40:1 Frank Hooven, The Heron’s Nest 19:1 Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy, Kokako 26 Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy, Modern Haiku 48:2 Gregory Longenecker, Sonic Boom 8 Indra Neil Mekala, 22nd International Kusamakura Haiku Competition Lori A Minor, H. Gene Murtha Senryu Contest (Prune Juice 22) Peter Newton, Bones 12 Anthony Itopa Obaro, The Heron’s Nest 19:2 Olivier Schopfer, Modern Haiku 48:1 Dan Schwerin, Frogpond 40:1 John Stevenson, Modern Haiku 48:1 Michael Stinson, Stardust Haiku 3 Hilary Tann, The Heron’s Nest 19:4 Ernest Wit, Bones 12 Karina M. Young, Mariposa 36 Romano Zeraschi, Chrysanthemum 22 David He Zhuanglang, Stardust Haiku 5 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2016
Selection Panel:
| Gary Hotham Ron C Moss Renée Owen Michele Root-Bernstein Dietmar Tauchner Diane Wakoski |
Nominations: Nearly 500
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (5):
| Nicholas Klacsanzky, A Hundred Gourds 5:3 Peter Newton, The Heron’s Nest 18:1 Dave Read, Acorn 37 Katrina Shepherd, The Heron’s Nest 18:4 Alan Summers, Blithe Spirit 26:1 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (24):
| Debbi Antebi, Failed Haiku 1:6 Francine Banwarth, Frogpond 39:3 Brad Bennett, Presence 55 Alan S. Bridges, The Heron’s Nest 18:2 Helen Buckingham, Mayfly 60 Glenn G. Coats, Acorn 36 Susan Constable, Acorn 36 Robert Epstein, Mariposa 34 Lorin Ford, The Living Haiku Anthology Annual Haiku Competition, 2016 Samar Ghose, Sonic Boom 5 LeRoy Gorman, is/let, 1 October 2016 Anita Guenin, The Living Haiku Anthology Annual Haiku Contest 2016 Carolyn Hall, Mariposa 35 Michele Harvey, Frameless Sky 4 Alexander B. Joy, The Heron’s Nest 18:1 Ben Moeller-Gaa, Modern Haiku 47:3 Elliot Nicely, Modern Haiku 47:2 Polona Oblak, The Heron’s Nest 18:2 Aparna Pathak, Wild Plum 2:2 Bill Pauly, The Heron’s Nest 18:4 Chad Lee Robinson, Mariposa 35 Carl Seguiban, The Peggy Willis Lyles Haiku Award, 2016 Eduard Țară, Concorso Internazionale Haiku in Lingua Italiana, 2016 Maria Tomczak, The Heron’s Nest 18:3 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2015
Selection Panel:
| Carolyn Hall Eve Luckring Lenard D. Moore Ron C Moss Barbara Ungar Diane Wakoski |
Nominations: Nearly 500
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (6):
| Mary Frederick Ahearn, Frogpond 38:3 Francine Banwarth, The Heron’s Nest 17:1 Robert Epstein, The Heron’s Nest 17:4 Patricia J. Machmiller, Frogpond 38:2 Michael McClintock, The Heron’s Nest 17:3 John McManus, Acorn 35 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (24):
| Fay Aoyagi, Mariposa 32 (2 nominations) Paul Bregazzi, Shamrock 32 Helen Buckingham, NOON 10 Matthew Caretti, The Heron’s Nest 17:3 Markeith Chavous, NOON 9 Simon Hanson, Wild Plum 1:2 Devin Harrison, Shamrock 32 Elmedin Kadric, A Hundred Gourds 4:4 Elmedin Kadric, The Heron’s Nest 17:3 Anatoly Kudryavitsky, Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award, 2015 Michael Henry Lee, Tinywords 15:1 Chen-ou Liu, Shamrock 31 Jeannie Martin, Tinywords 15:1 Ben Moeller-Gaa, Shamrock 32 H. Gene Murtha, The Heron’s Nest 17:3 Sandi Pray, A Hundred Gourds 4:3 Dorota Pyra, 20th International Kusamakura Haiku Competition, 2015 Chad Lee Robinson, The Heron’s Nest 17:4 Dan Schwerin, Modern Haiku 46:2 Angela Terry, The Heron’s Nest 17:1 Tom Tico, Bottle Rockets 16:2 Paresh Tiwari, The Heron’s Nest 17:1 Maria Tomczak, Cattails, September 2015 Kent Travis, Shamrock 31 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2014
Selection Panel:
| Carolyn Hall Eve Luckring Lenard D. Moore George Swede Barbara Ungar Diane Wakoski |
Nominations: Nearly 500
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (5):
| Susan Antolin, Mariposa 30 Chuck Brickley, Mariposa 31 Karen Cesar, Modern Haiku 45:3 Joyce Clement, The Heron’s Nest 16:2 David McCann, Acorn 32 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (24):
| Melissa Allen, Frogpond 37:1 Francine Banwarth, Modern Haiku 45:2 Alan S. Bridges, The Heron’s Nest 17:4 Cezar-Florin Ciobîcă, 2nd “aha” (Annual Hortensia Anderson) Memorial Awards Jan Dobb, Kokako 21 George G. Dorsty, Bottle Rockets 30 Robert Epstein, Acorn 33 Seren Fargo, Modern Haiku 45:1 Michael Fessler, Bottle Rockets 30 Jeff Hoagland, Tinywords 14:2 Yvette Kolodji, The Heron’s Nest 17:2 Burnell Lippy, The Heron’s Nest 17:3 paul m., Mariposa 31 Carole MacRury, Shiki Internet Kukai, October 2014 Anna Mazurkiewicz, Prune Juice 12 John McManus, Mayfly 57 Ron C Moss, The Heron’s Nest 17:4 Peter Newton, Frogpond 37:3 John Stevenson, Frogpond 37:1 Michelle Tennison, Acorn 32 Lew Watts, The Heron’s Nest 17:2 Peter Yovu, Frogpond 37:3 Peter Yovu, is/let, December 1, 2014 Peter Yovu, NOON, 2014 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2013
Selection Panel:
| Dee Evetts Paul Miller Lenard D. Moore George Swede Barbara Ungar |
Nominations: More than 500
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (8):
| Don Baird, HaikuNow! Contest (The Haiku Foundation), 2013 John Barlow, Robert Spiess Memorial Haiku Award (Modern Haiku) Sonam Chhoki, Shamrock 26 Mike Dillon, Modern Haiku 44:3 Harry Frentz, Jeanette Stace Memorial Awards (New Zealand Poetry Society) Ferris Gilli, Acorn 31 Ron C Moss, Acorn 30 John Parsons, Frogpond 36:2 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (21):
| Ernest J Berry, Polish International Haiku Competition Alan S. Bridges, Irish Haiku Society International Haiku Competition Dawn Bruce, Shamrock 26 Metod Češek, Modern Haiku 44:3 Marion Clarke, Shamrock 25 Anne Curran, Shamrock 26 Michael L. Evans, Francine Porad Memorial Haiku Contest Marco Fraticelli, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Contest Scott Glander, Mayfly 54 Kate Godsey, Chrysanthemum 14 Carolyn Hall, A Hundred Gourds 3:1 Annette Makino, Tinywords 13:2 Scott Mason, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest (Haiku Society of America) Tyrone McDonald, The Heron’s Nest 15:1 Ron C Moss, The Heron’s Nest 15:1 Chad Lee Robinson, Mariposa 29 Sandra Simpson, Kokako 19 Dietmar Tauchner, 18th International Kusamakura Haiku Competition Julie Warther, Polish International Haiku Competition Sarah Winteridge, Modern Haiku 44:2 Peter Yovu, Roadrunner 13:1 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2012
Selection Panel:
| Fay Aoyagi Dee Evetts John Martone Paul Miller George Swede Diane Wakoski |
Nominations: More than 560
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (8):
| Melissa Allen, Frogpond 35:3 Aubrie Cox, Frogpond 35:1 Mark Holloway, Bones 1 Bill Kenney, Modern Haiku 43:2 Eve Luckring, The Heron’s Nest 14:3 Patricia J. Machmiller, The Heron’s Nest 14:4 John McManus, The Heron’s Nest 14:2 Kieran O’Connor, The Heron’s Nest 14:4 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (18):
| Helen Buckingham, Modern Haiku 43:2 Aubrie Cox, Mayfly 52 Cherie Hunter Day, Modern Haiku 43:1 Bill Deegan, Frogpond 35.3 Garry Eaton, The Heron’s Nest 14:4 Lorin Ford, The Heron’s Nest 14:4 Carolyn Hall, The Heron’s Nest 14:3 Michele L. Harvey, The Heron’s Nest 14:4 Gregory Hopkins, Mayfly 52 Gregory Hopkins, A Hundred Gourds 1:3 Michael Ketchek, Frogpond 35.2 Anatoly Kudryavitsky, A Hundred Gourds 1:2 Rebecca Lilly, Roadrunner 12:2 Eve Luckring, Modern Haiku 43.3 Peter Newton, A Hundred Gourds 1:4 Dan Schwerin, Modern Haiku 43:1 John Stevenson, Acorn 29 Julie Warther, Frogpond 35:1 | |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2011
Selection Panel:
| Fay Aoyagi David Cobb Dee Evetts John Martone Paul Miller Diane Wakoski |
Nominations: Approximately 585
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (6):
| Ernest J Berry, British Haiku Awards, 2010 Cherie Hunter Day, Harold G. Henderson Award, 2011 Terri L. French, Frogpond 34:3 Gregory Hopkins, The Heron’s Nest 13:2 Bill Pauly, Modern Haiku 42:1 Chad Lee Robinson, The Heron’s Nest 13:1 |
Other poems that were shortlisted (23):
| Melissa Allen, Acorn 26 Sanjukta Asopa, The Heron’s Nest 13:3 Dave Baldwin, The Heron’s Nest 13:4 Roberta Beary, Itoen Oi Ocha New Haiku Contest, 2011 Sonam Chhoki, A Hundred Gourds 1:1 Kathy Lippard Cobb, Haiku Presence Award, 2010 Susan Constable, Bottle Rockets 24 Amelia Cotter, The Heron’s Nest 13:2 Bruce H. Feingold, Tinywords 11:2 Chris Gordon, Roadrunner 11:1 Stephen Gould, Haiku Presence Award, 2010 Michele L. Harvey, Harold G. Henderson Awards, 2011 John Hawk, The Heron’s Nest 13:3 Mary Kipp, Magnapoets 8 Susan Marie La Vallée, Gerald Brady Senryu Awards, 2011 Jo McInerney, The Heron’s Nest 13:1 Scott Metz, Roadrunner 11:1 Roland Packer, Modern Haiku 42:1 Tom Painting, 2nd HaikuNow! International Haiku Contest Sandra Simpson, DailyHaiku 6:11 Barbara Strang, Kokako 15 Paul Watsky, The Heron’s Nest 13:3 Quendryth Young, Presence 43 |
Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, 2010
Selection Panel:
| Fay Aoyagi Janice Bostok David Cobb John Martone Hiro Sato John Stevenson |
Nominations: Approximately 600
Announcement of results: The Haiku Foundation website
Award winners (7):
| Robert Epstein, The Heron’s Nest 12:4 Duro Jaiye, The Heron’s Nest 12:1 Mark Lonergan, Paper Wasp 16 Peggy Willis Lyles, Modern Haiku 41.1 Greg Piko, The Heron’s Nest 12:1 Sandra Simpson, The Heron’s Nest 12:3 Quendryth Young, Chrysanthemum 8 |
No shortlist for 2010 awards
COMPILED BY: Haikupedia Editors
ADAPTED FROM: The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Awards
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