Poet Profile

André Surridge

Poet and playwright André Surridge was born in England and emigrated to New Zealand in 1972. His poetry is widely anthologised and published including Magnapoets, Atlas Poetica, Modern English Tanka, Presence, Eucalypt, Bravado, Kokako and paper wasp.
André Surridge passed away peacefully on 23rd December 2019 at Summerset Village Hamilton, aged 68.

Awards and Other Honors:

Winner of the Katikati Haiku Contest (NZ, 2004); Joint winner of the Haiku Contest (NZ, 2004); First Prize, 8th Annual Paper Wasp Jack Stamm Haiku Award (Australia, 2006); Elizabeth Searle Lamb Award, (USA, 2007); Second Prize, Robert Frost Haiku Contest (USA, 2007); Third Prize, Ukia Haiku (2007); Kyoto Museum for World Peace Award (Japan, 2007); Third Prize, moonsethaiku contest (USA, 2008); Third Prize, With Words Haiku Contest (UK, 2008); Winner of the Florida State Poets Association Haiku Contest (USA, 2008); First Prize, World Haiku Review [Traditional] (August, 2009); Third Prize, Kusamakura International Haiku Competition (Japan, 2009 and 2019); the Jane Reichhold International Prize, USA, 2010.

holding my breath
the length
of a skylark’s song

cold river mouth
a silver gleam>
in the whitebaiter’s eye

lavender stalk
the weight of one
white butterfly

sounding
the wind-chime
hailstones

waning moon―
dwindling survivors gather
for Memorial Day

a maple leaf
touching other leaves
before the ground

a raindrop
riding a spider’s thread
leaf tip to leaf tip

fallow field
the frosted shadow
of a scarecrow

losing track
of my thoughts the flight
of a butterfly

sunny day
butter melting
on sweet corn cobs

Credits:

"holding my breath" - Second Prize, Robert Frost Haiku Contest (2007); "lavender stalk" - Elizabeth Searle Lamb Award (2007); "waning moon" - Kyoto Museum for World Peace Award (2007); "cold river mouth" – Third Prize, Ukia Haiku (2007); "sounding" - First Place, Traditional Haiku, World Haiku Review 7:2 (2009); "a maple leaf" - Winner of the paper wasp Jack Stamm Haiku Award (2006); "a raindrop" - Presence #33 (UK) 2007; "fallow field" - The Heron’s Nest Vol. XI, No.4 (US) 2009; "losing track" - Merit Award, R H Blyth Award, UK, 2007; "sunny day" - Honourable Mention, The 21st ITO EN Oi Ocha New Haiku Contest 2010.