Poet Profile

Zoran Antonić

Zoran Antonić has been writing poetry since childhood and haiku since 1996. He has several awards for his haiku. He has published in various magazines and collections and his haiku have been translated into English, German, French, Russian, Bulgarian, Japanese. He is one of the founders of the Traveling Haiku Fellowship.

Awards and Other Honors: First Prize, Haiku Competition (YU Haiku festival) “Odzaci 2002.”, Serbia (2002); Honorable Mention, The Suruga Baika Literary Award for the 7th Literary Festival, Japan (2005); Honorable Mention, 9th Annual Mainichi Haiku Contest (2005); Honorable Mention, 13th Annual Mainichi Haiku Contest (Mainichi Daily News) Japan (2009); Special Prize (Haiku in English) - the Genkissu! Spirits Up! (2008); Honorable Mention, World Haiku Review 6:3 (2008); Other Haiku of Merit, World Haiku Review 7:1 (2009); Poem of the Day, Electronic Poetry Network [Shreve Memorial Library website, edited by Carlos Colon] (March 26, 2008).

Books Published: Co-author of ODŠKRINUTA VRATA / Slightly Open Door [edited and published by “Vrelo” -The Society for Healthy Feeding and Environmental Protection and CEP-Copy Endlos Punkt] (Novi Sad, Serbia, 2004); Co-author of three-lingual haiku anthology Na kraju dana / На края на деня / At the End of the Day [a collection of Serbian and Bulgarian haiku, edited and published by "Sfera" – The Centre of Ecology, Etnology and Culture and CEP - Copy Endlos Punkt] (Novi Sad, Serbia, 2005); Co-author of Новогодишња ноћ / The New Year’s Eve / Novogodišnja noć [a collection of haiku poems edited and published by the THF and "Sfera" – The Centre of Ecology, Ethnology and Culture] (Novi Sad, Serbia, 2007); Co-author of the four-lingual Book: Just an Ordinary Day / Jedan Edan Običan Dan / Ein Gewönlichen Tag / Une Journe Ordinaire (Punta – Niš, Serbia, 2008).

The old man with horse
is plowing a last rut
and his shadow.

An old guitar—
instead of strings there’s just one
thread of a cobweb.

A scream from the dark—
a night bird flew away from
the cemetery wall.

The city market,
decorated by mimosas—
smells of fish.

The wind sends
fallen leaves into
an empty grave.

Oak tree bark—
ants are crossing over
the engraved names.

Credits: "The old man with horse" - Honorable Mention, The Suruga Baika Literary Award, 7th Literary Festival (Japan, 2005); Poem of the Day, The Electronic Poetry Network [Shreve Memorial Library website, edited by Carlos Colon] (March 26, 2008); "A scream from the dark" - Honorable Mention Award, 9th Annual Mainichi Haiku Contest (Japan, 2005); "The wind sends" - Honourable Mention (one of Best Ten Neoclassical Haiku), World Haiku Review 6:3 (Editor: Susumu Takiguchi, 2008); "An old guitar" – Haiku Page Vol. 2, Numbers 1 & 2 [Balkan Haiku, Editor: JQ Zheng; Spring 2009); "The city market" – moonset Literary Newspaper (editor: an’ya, Spring – Summer 2009); Haiku Reality, by Sasa Vazic; "Oak tree bark" – Haiku Moment 5-6 (Novi Sad, Spring-Summer 2001-2002 (Editor & Publisher: Zoran Doderovic, Novi Sad); Xaiku Balkany [http://xaiku.com/extra/balkany/balkany.htm?29].