The Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems are bestowed annually on poems that represent noteworthy additions to English-language haiku and senryu in the estimation of a distinguished panel. The Awards are open to any English-language haiku or senryu first published in the current calendar year.
What Is The Haiku Foundation Touchstone Award for Individual Poems?
The Haiku Foundation, as part of its mission to expand possibilities for English-language haiku, created the Touchstone Awards Series in 2010 for individual haiku and senryu (The Touchstone Award for Individual Poems) and books (The Touchstone Distinguished Books Award). In 2022, the Touchstone Award for Individual Haibun was added to recognize individual haibun.
All awards seek to reward excellence and innovation each calendar year. Results are determined through a year-long nomination and selection process and are released the following year on April 17, International Haiku Poetry Day. Award recipients are selected by independent panels comprised of authorities in the field.
How Are Panel Members Chosen?
The panel consists of five members who are chosen by the Touchstone Awards Committee. The Committee chooses panel members who have demonstrated expertise in the haiku and senryu genres.
How Are Haiku Nominated?
Throughout the year, the Coordinator for the Touchstone Award for Individual Poems solicits nominations of haiku and senryu from journal editors and contest organizers. In addition, any individual may nominate two poems (haiku or senryu), one of which may be their own. For this award, publication is constituted by, but not limited to, first appearance in a juried or edited public venue such as a book, journal, online site, or contest. The Awards Committee reserves the right to determine whether a poem meets this criterion.
Nominations for the current year will open shortly after the previous year's awards have been announced. Poems written by the Coordinator of the Touchstone Award for Individual Poems or any of its panelists are ineligible for nomination during their terms of service.
How Are the Winning Haiku Selected?
In the first round, the five panel members consider the entire anonymous roster and nominate ten of the most exceptional poems of their choosing. These become the Long List. In the second round, the panel discusses the merits of the long-listed poems and ranks their top selections, of which the highest-scoring poems become the Short List. In the final round, the panel discusses the merits of the short-listed poems and ranks their top selections from the Short List, of which the 5 highest-scoring poems are recognized with Touchstone Awards. Once the awarded poems have been determined, the panel members write commentaries for each. Authors and citations for winning poems are revealed to the judges along with the public.
How to Submit
The deadline for the latest Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems is December 31st of each calendar year.
You may nominate no more than two poems, only one of which may be (but does not have to be) your own work. Nominated poems must be submitted with our entry form.
Nominated poems must be submitted with our entry form.
Full details and entry form here:
https://thehaikufoundation.org/open-nominate-poems-for-the-2024-touchstone-award/?