Member-Sponsored Kigo is King – 2018 Haiku Contest

Details

Deadline:May 31, 2018
Fee:Free

The Kigo is King – 2018 Haiku Contest is seeking haiku! We’d love to see your best ku by the midnight, 31st of May.

Generally speaking, haiku are short, three line poems comprised of a set number of syllables, and which usually deal with nature. Haiku are also highly imagistic and include kigo (a “season word” or in English language haiku, a seasonal reference) and rely on juxtaposition to bring about verses that are both “light and unexpected.”

This year, we’re focusing on the kigo – so make sure your ’ku have a season reference in your work. The season can be explicit or implicit, of course.

Traditional Japanese language haiku have a strict syllable count of 5-7-5 across the lines, but the majority of modern, published English-language haiku instead aim for a total syllable count of anywhere from 10-17. (This is due to differences between English syllables and Japanese on.) The competition will use this structure–however, haiku with traditional counts are most certainly welcome!

You can find further notes on haiku, its composition and structure here at the Scribophile Academy.

Winning entries

Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.

Prizes

1st prize:$100 cash via PayPal
2nd prize:$75 cash via PayPal
3rd prize:$50 cash via PayPal

Rules

  • Entries must be received by midnight of Thursday, 31st May, 2018 Midnight UTC time. The winner will be announced mid-late June.

  • Submit no more than 3-5 haiku.

  • Only one entry per member; that is, place all haiku in one post.

  • Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.

Submission guidelines

  • To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says “Enter this work into the Member-Sponsored Kigo is King – 2018 Haiku Contest.” Your work will automatically be considered. The checkbox will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.

  • Entry is free, but you'll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.

  • If you have placed in a contest in the past with a particular piece, you may not resubmit that piece in other contests.