Haiku Invitational

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival takes place every spring in Vancouver, British Columbia, celebrating the city’s 43,000 cherry trees. Festivities include the annual Haiku Invitational, a free contest that invites submissions of haiku on the theme of cherry blossoms, judged in the following six categories: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, United States, International, and Youth. It’s been my privilege to serve as a judge or consultant since the Haiku Invitational started in 2006. When I have not been a judge myself, I have proposed all the judges for 2009 and 2013 to the present. From 2006 to 2014, winning haiku were printed on placards that appeared on Vancouver city buses and SkyTrains each spring. Poems also appeared on the festival website, and in various poetry journals. Winning haiku have also been performed on radio and TV and at public events, including concerts of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and at the annual Japan Days festival. All winning haiku from the first three years have also been engraved on a haiku stone at VanDusen Gardens (see Vancouver Haiku Stone for photos). The following are each of the Haiku Invitational placards, showcasing the top winning poems, plus a list of all judges. Since 2016, I’ve also been conducting interviews with the six top winning poets each year, and usually providing online and in-person haiku workshops for each festival. See also “Cherry Petal Mats.”       +       +

2022 Haiku Invitational Winners

You may note above that the placard listed under the 2010 heading says 2011 in the placard itself, and that each placard for more recent years lists results from the prior year. The festival was not held in 2010 because of the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, but the Haiku Invitational was still held, with results displayed the following year. This change allowed for submissions to be made during cherry blossom time itself. Before then, submissions were typically made in December through February. The change also allowed for a more relaxed judging period during the summer and fall, and more time to design the placards and arrange other promotions using the winning poems. The Haiku Invitational continues to seek haiku about cherry blossoms each spring, with results appearing online in the fall, and elsewhere the following spring. Hope you can enter the next Haiku Invitational!