As part of the Garden’s annual Atlanta Haiku Festival, writers from around the country are invited to submit up to two original and unpublished haiku to our competition during the month of February. Submission details are below.
Prizes
Three winners will be selected in each category: first, second and third. Each winner and up to three guests will receive complimentary admission to the April festival day in the Garden and an invitation to attend a luncheon together. Winning haiku will be posted in the Garden and on the Garden’s website and social media.
In addition to admission on the festival day, winners will receive:
Third place: two additional Garden admission tickets*
Second place: four additional Garden admission tickets*
First place: six additional Garden admission tickets*
*Garden admission tickets are valid only during regular, daytime hours. Garden special events are not included. Not valid during Garden Lights, Holiday Nights. Travel expenses not included. Winners unable to attend will be mailed their prize.
People’s Choice Grand Prize: Gift Basket
After winners are announced on April 1, the winning haiku will be published online for voting by the public. The People’s Choice Grand Prize winner will be announced after the reading of the winning haiku on the festival day in the Garden.
submit haiku
Competition Details
Submissions are open Feb. 1 – 28 and must be submitted using the form below. The competition is free and open to anyone in the United States. Submissions by authors under the age of 18 must include parental consent. The competition will be judged by haiku authors and experts. Competitive haiku will draw from the theme.
2027 Theme: Microseasons
Microseasons, called kō in Japanese, refer to the subtle natural rhythms that occur within the more broadly articulated four seasons. Japan recognizes 72 kō, such as “swallows return”, “irises bloom” and “wheat sprouts under the snow.” While we can tell which of the four seasons each of these falls within, they also indicate a more particular point in time.
This year’s theme takes inspiration from this close observation of phenomena that happen during very specific times of year– during the tiny seasons within winter, spring, summer and fall– encouraging us to slow down and notice what signals these small yet significant moments.
Some of the Garden’s microseasons are visually dazzling, while others wrap us in scents, sounds or textures that signal a special span of time. Here are a few favorites from our staff. What would be on your list?
- Daffodils emerge
- Magnolia trees bud
- Warm rains soften the soil
- Peonies bloom then bend
- Cicadas and fireflies announce the night
- Tulip poplars bloom
- Plump figs drop
- Butterflies return
- Tea olives scent the air
- Colorful leaves blanket the gardens
- Frost nips
- Camellias bring color
- The paperbush blooms alone
Allow the theme to inspire your haiku. What images in nature does the theme conjure? What can you hear, taste, touch, see or feel that tells a story about a special moment in nature that relates to the theme? Write from real experiences or your imagination.
To be considered for the competition, submitted haiku must be:
1. The author’s own original work
2. Unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere
3. Limited to two original haiku per applicant.
Submissions are open in three divisions:
1. Bonsai: Youth in school grades K-12
2. Sakura: Novice adults with little or no experience writing haiku and no publication history
3. Ginkgo: Experienced adults who are published poets, contest winners, or those with substantial haiku writing experience
Standard form for modern English haiku is recommended. New to haiku? Here is some helpful guidance and suggested resources:
Modern English haiku doesn’t have to follow a 5-7-5 syllable structure. Because English and Japanese have different rhythms when spoken out loud, 5-7-5 sounds natural in Japanese, but it can actually restrict the flow of English haiku. Instead of limiting yourself to exactly 17 syllables, focus on writing haiku that describe a single moment in time, relates to a specific season or pairs two poetic images.
Learn more about English haiku form on our How-to-Haiku learning corner with resources for new and budding haiku poets to understand the fundamentals; for teachers to gain confidence teaching haiku; and for experienced writers to get inspiration from haiku authorities.
Questions about submitting?
Email us