Golden Haiku Poetry Competition

In conversation the participants of Golden Haiku Poetry Competition, who shared some insightful knowledge about how one can take part in the competition. Also, their experience of the same!

Anju Kishore

Q1: Which year did you participate?
A: I participated in 2024.

Q2: How did you come to know about the Golden Haiku Poetry Competition?
A: I learned about the competition through Facebook posts by poet friends, where they shared their selected entries from the previous year’s contest.

Q3: Golden Haiku is different from traditional haiku. What is your view on this?
A: Golden Haiku isn’t a separate form of haiku; it’s an annual contest conducted by the Golden Triangle BID. The competition accepts both traditional and contemporary haiku. In addition to the winning entries, several haiku are selected for display on the streets of Washington, D.C., during springtime.

Q4: Have you been practicing writing haiku, or was this your first attempt? If you practice, then what’s your usual routine?
A: I’ve been writing haiku and other Japanese forms of poetry for about three years now. I don’t follow a fixed routine—I read and write poetry whenever I find the time, even late at night if I can’t sleep. There are days when I don’t write at all, and then there are stretches where I write daily. It all depends on how inspiration strikes.

Q5: How many people were you competing with? Would love to know your feelings or experience while writing for the competition.
A: According to the Golden Haiku website, there were 4,000 entries from 88 countries in 2024.

at the bend
of a dead-end
morning glories

That was my haiku that got selected. I wrote it during a difficult phase in my life. One morning, after yet another sleepless night, I went for a walk and came across the scene I later captured in the poem. It brought me a sense of comfort and hope for a fresh beginning. Being selected meant a great deal to me.

Q6: Do you only write haiku, or do you explore other forms of poetry too? Which one do you enjoy most, and why?
A: In addition to Japanese forms like haibun, tanka, and tanka prose, I also write free verse and ghazals in English. Of all these, I enjoy writing ghazals the most. The lyrical nature of the form brings me peace, and I find it incredibly freeing. Ghazals don’t come to me often, but when they do, they seem to pour straight from the heart.

Hansini A Kartik

Q1: Which year did you participate?
A: I participated in 2025. It was my debut year.

Q2: How did you come to know about the Golden Haiku Poetry Competition?
A: I found out about it from my haiku mentor—who also happens to be my mother.

Q3: Golden Haiku is different from traditional haiku. What is your view on this?
A: I find it interesting to write haiku that goes beyond the traditional syllable count. This flexibility makes the form more adaptable to other languages as well.

Q4: Have you been practicing writing haiku, or was this your first attempt? If you practice, then what’s your usual routine?
A: I’ve been practicing haiku for a little over six months now.

Q5: How many people were you competing with? Would love to know your feelings or experience while writing for the competition.
A: I approached it like any other contest—trying my best to write a good haiku based on the theme. Since the competition is open worldwide, I wasn’t sure how many people I was competing with. But being selected for display is definitely an honor, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

Q6: Do you only write haiku, or do you explore other forms of poetry too? Which one do you enjoy most, and why?
A: I mainly write haiku, but I also write regular poems when I feel inspired. I enjoy both equally—they each have their own unique charm. Whether I write or not often depends on how I feel at a given moment.

Sankara Jayanth

1) Which year did you participate?
I believe my first participation was in 2023. It was an exciting discovery for me, and I remember being drawn to the idea of sharing my haiku with such a wide and diverse audience.

2) How did you come to know about the Golden Haiku poetry competition?
I discovered it through the once-thriving haiku community on Twitter. It was also where I first learned about haiku journals and contests, which opened up a new world of poetic exploration for me.

3) Golden Haiku is different from traditional haiku. What is your view on this?
Haiku has evolved over time, and Golden Haiku embraces this evolution. Their selections reflect today’s broad range of haiku expressions, offering a thoughtful mix of tradition and modern sensibilities without being bound to rigid definitions.

4) Have you been practising writing haiku or was this your first attempt? If you practice, then what's your usual routine?
I’ve been writing haiku seriously for 5–6 years. While I lack regular practice, I usually begin with an image, memory, or prompt that stirs something intuitive or reflective within me.

5) How many people were you competing with? Would love to know your feelings or experience while writing for the competition.
I’m unsure of the exact number, but I’d guess around a thousand or more. I submitted a haiku from a personal haiga project, and its selection truly felt validating—almost as fulfilling as winning itself.

6) Do you only write haiku or any other form of poetry too? Which one do you enjoy most and why?
I write haiku, senryu, and free verse, and I create haiga by combining painting with poetry. I lean into whichever form best helps me process my emotions and find creative release.

Suggestions from the participants 

Vandana Parashar: Read as much as you can before you begin to write—it helps you understand and appreciate the craft. By immersing yourself in others’ work, you’ll discover what resonates with you and slowly find your own voice.

Write haiku to feel alive. Write because your words might become a portal to others’ hearts. Write because the world is full of beauty, awe, and sorrow. Write because, as Professor Dumbledore said, “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

Whether or not you win a competition doesn't define your worth. Someone, somewhere will connect with your work and find comfort or joy in your words. Isn’t that what we all hope for?

Aadithya Sreeraj, Age- 14 years: Write what you see and to truly see, you need to be present and aware of what’s happening around you. What makes a haiku powerful is the fleeting moment it captures. Pay attention, feel the moment, and let it guide your words.

Geethanjali Rajan: For anyone interested in participating in the Golden Triangle Haiku competition, I’d suggest starting by reading haiku and reading about haiku. Understanding the form comes first, learning how to write it follows naturally.

Anju Kishore: If you're new to haiku but interested, I recommend starting with Triveni Haikai India. They have interactive blogs, open calls for submissions, and a supportive community of poets from around the world who exchange feedback and learn together. Beyond THI, there are many free online resources to help you learn and grow as a haiku poet.

Hansini A Kartik: Just give it your best shot even if you think you won’t make it. Try writing even when you don’t feel like it; it can lead to surprising and often pleasant results.

Sankara Jayanth: Study past selections to understand the contest’s tone and preferences. But most importantly, write with sincerity, trust your voice, and submit haiku that reflect your unique perception of a moment.