Thanks for Being a Part of International Haiku Poetry Day 2026
Hundred of haiku lovers around the world celebrated International Haiku Poetry Day 2026 in many ways.
The HaikuLife Haiku Film Festival 2026 screened 52 new videos, our largest selection ever. They are available permanently in our HaikuLife Archive and will be featured individually on the blog iover the next couple months.
The EarthRise Rolling Haiku Collaboration, the world’s largest collaborative poem, had one of its largest participation rates ever. This year’s theme was nomads and shepherds, taking our cue as usual from The United Nations Year Designation for 2026.
The winners of the 2025 Touchstone Awards were announced in three categories: the Touchstone Distinguished Books Award, the Touchstone Award for Individual Poems, and the Touchstone Award for Individual Haibun. Each recipient will receive an acrylic plaque with their title or poem inscribed and be honored with an individual blog post over the next few days.
And we append below a report from the Nepalese haiku group, celebrating the event in their own special way.
Thank you for spending time with haiku, and with us, on International Haiku Poetry Day!
Be a part of it — celebrate International Haiku Poetry Day, April 17.
April 18, Lalitpur Nepal
International Haiku Day is celebrated worldwide with various activities focused on Haiku Literature and festivals on April 17 each year. In Nepal, Newa Haiku Khya (नेवा: हाइकु ख्य:) and Pratibha Samaaj (Society) jointly organized yet another special Haiku Recital event, participated by 33 poets from various districts within the valley including a few Nepalbhasa poets from abroad.
The event highlighted our native language, #Nepalbhasa. Poets recited 2 original Haiku each submitted to the organizing committee about a week ago.
Coordinator of the annual event and President of Newa Haiku Khya, Mr. Suresh Pradhan noted the quality growth of haiku writers in Nepalbhasa and appreciated The Haiku Foundation for acknowledging the event in international arena. “Developing Haiku writers in Nepalbhasa marks our effort in conservation and promotion of our ages old intangible culture amidst growing concerns of tangible herirages of Nepal,” he said, “We continue to collaborate with various like minded organizations for expanding the creativity as well as professionalism in literature by adding assets like the books published today and are happy to be organizing events to mark international haiku day for third consecutive year with equal enthusiastic participation.”
The recited Haiku were analyzed and commented upon by Dr. Pushpa Raj Rajkarnikar, Vice Chancellor of Nepalbhasa Academy, Nepal. Dr. Rajkarnikar, elaborating on the styles, expressions, and potential meanings of the Haiku recited. He stressed on the impact of haiku writers and how it influences the mindsets of its readers; setting examples of conscious observation of societies and role of writers to move beyond traditional cultural limitations by writing Haikus on the issues of current affairs and Nepalese diaspora.
“Haiku, being brief with depth of expression, is a reflection of condensed form of one’s view and life experiences,” he said. “The writers of this event need to further their skills by focusing on condensed content than being restricted to technicalities or forms of Haikus” emphasized that a good Haiku must be felt by its audience and leave an impact of the depth expressed through it.
Similarly Guest of Honor Prof. Prem Shanti Tuladhar congratulated the organizer on continuity of Nepalbhasa literature events and spoke on the contents of poems in the poetry book by Rukmini Amatya. “The success of a poet lies in making readers visualize the contents expressed and Rukmini has successfully made us feel the experiences of a Newa: diaspora abroad – ranging from personal life reflections to concerns of losing identities and cultural values of Newars.”
Chief Guest Malla spoke on the value of eastern philosophies and the complex nature of Tantra and Bodhi Charya culture of Newars. He compared the secret nature of Tantra with the content value of Haiku and urged writers to delve into exploring ancient Shakta and Buddhist behavioural cults to increase Nepalbhasa Haiku qualitative writings.
Event Chair Dr. Shakya spoke on the logical vs direct observational philosophy of life experiences. Explaining the expansion of Nepalese Buddhist philosophy and development of tangible heritages by Araniko in China, he highlighted the essential similarities with Haiku expansion beyond Zen practices. “It was after his self realization and fluent writing structure that came from direct observational practice attained from Zen Gurus that Hokku was later replaced with 5-7-5 format which is not a logical technical form but disciplined expression.” He remarked, “We are happy that Nepalbhasa poets who are seemingly more influenced by external observations are now successfully turning towrds inward insight value for meaningful expressions.”
The other eminent speakers of the event were Mr. Kiran Narsing Shakya, Secretary General of Pratibha Samaaj, and Mr. Kiran Shakya, legal advisor as well as a poet. The event held at Satoaki Memorial Building, Kupondol next to Hotel Himalaya was anchored by Poet Purnima Shakya– Treasurer of Newa Haiku Khya and Poet Dharma Krishna Sikarmi. Vice President Mr. Dil Bahadur Chitrakar “Tuyu: Pun:” gave away the vote of thanks to the audience.
Although the event was conducted in Nepalbhasa and Nepalese, should you be interested in taking a peek, please visit the facebook live link here:
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