The United Haiku and Tanka Society Samurai Haibun Contest
This yearly competition, sponsored by the United Haiku and Tanka Society, celebrates the Autumn Festival, which is the procession devoted to all things Samurai, including warriors wielding traditional Japanese weaponry parading through the streets. It occurs in Nikko Toshogo, Japan on the 17th day of October each year. This competition was about "the strength or power of nature", and whatever it meant to each person. Entries could be about anything from flowers to a hurricane or anything perceived as a powerful force of nature.
Deadline: only open from 1 September 2022 to 30 September 2022.
Sponsor: the United Haiku and Tanka Society.
Coordinator: Marilyn Humbert, Australia.
Blind Adjudication): Elaine and Neal Whitman, USA.
Eligibility: FREE to all age groups worldwide.
Awards: send up to 3 entries (haibun only, no tanka prose); all rights remain with the poets. Printable Certificates will be emailed to winners for 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place, and one HM. (see picture below).
Guidelines: Entries must be the original work of the author, be unpublished and never posted publicly anywhere, and not under consideration elsewhere for the entire time period it takes to complete the judging. This contest is un-themed and any content is acceptable except for that which might be considered offensive to the general public ie: (no political or inappropriate material). Entries that do not follow these guidelines will not be considered, so read carefully.
Submissions: subject heading (Samurai Haibun), type each individual haibun in the body of your email, no attachments, please. Include your name, country, and email contact. Send to mhumbert1953@gmail.com
From the Coordinator: “all entrants will be advised that I have received their entry,
but if you haven’t heard from me within 7 days, please re-send.”
Notification: ONLY the winners will be notified and ONLY via email if you have no email address available, (please provide a proxy email address.) If you don’t hear anything back by 30 October 2022, your entries are automatically free to submit elsewhere.
Publication: Winners will be posted at the end of October 2022 on the UHTS website with the Judge’s commentary. Good Luck and thank you for entering!
