First Place in the Magic of Maples Haiku Competition

 Started my day with the biggest smile! I still can't believe I won FIRST PLACE (over 18s category) in the Magic of Maples Haiku Competition. There were more than 550 haiku submitted from around the world. My haiku and other winning poems will be part of an outdoor exhibition at Westonbirt Arboretum - Forestry England during the autumn season (September–November) 2026.

Huge thanks to the organizers and judges! Congratulations to all the winners and HMs!

More details here- https://www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt/maple-haiku

  

7th Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Contest (First Runner-Up, Traditional Category)

I'm so ecstatic! My haiga in the traditional catergory won first runner-up in the Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Contest. Thank you so much to the judges, Steve Hodge and Hemapriya Chellappan. Congratulations to all the winners - Julie Schwerin, Julie Bloss Kelsey, Bona Santos/Susan Burch and others.

This haiga by Chrissi Villa presents itself as stomach-turning butterflies, a pounding heart and never-ending nervousness. We don’t know who the “he” is, but we sense a palpable tension. When you’re in love you find yourself unable to think straight, you feel ecstatic, you don’t know what’s next. You don’t think about the future because what could possibly go wrong? But then life happens, and you move on. There is nothing better than reliving those moments with your ex-whomever-it-is. Bittersweet moments maybe before and now but everyday seems like the first time again.

                                                                                                                  -Hemapriya Chellapan

See all the winners and commentaries here.

 

The British Haiku Society Awards 2021 (First Place)

I woke up with a big surprise! I won first place in the Tanka Section of the British Haiku Society Awards 2021! My deepest gratitude to The British Haiku Society and to the esteemed judge, Margaret Chula, for selecting my poem. Here is my winning tanka and the judge's commentary.

Congratulations to all the winners. http://britishhaikusociety.org.uk/.../results-bhs-awards.../

6th Jane Reichhold Memorial Haiga Contest - First Place and First Runner-up!

Who wants to do the happy dance with me? Thank you, Lord for my two recent awards - First Place in the Traditional Category and First Runner-Up in the Photography and Mixed Media Category. This is one of the beautiful ways you have turned my life experiences into gifts to be shared to everyone! I am very grateful!!!

I hope you all enjoy these. Congratulations to all the winner! See all the winners and the commentaries here. 

First Place - Traditional Category

At first reading and viewing, this haiga by Chrissi Villa grips you. With each successive reading, the compounding layers of possibilities in this senryu are echoed visually in the varied and multi-textured circles of the image. One can’t help but to wonder of the other rings once worn. Are the bestowers now as nameless as the moon? The wonderful balance between fragment, phrase, and image invites the reader to insert themself into the narrative and make it their own without diminishing the original intent of the author, were we privy to it. (Commentaries by judges Kelly Sauvage and Bryan Rickert)

                             First Runner-Up - Photography and Mixed Media Category

This haiga by Chrissi Villa activates all our senses, as she invites us to view the textures, smell the flowers, and contemplate all the varied interpretations of her one line senryu. The image and senryu combined show a wonderful balance of softness and strength; yet, it is the sense of whimsy that offers an uncommon optimism. Oftentimes, when we think of abandoning a place or a situation, it is in the context of escape. Yet, in this instance, the leaving is a lofting—ripe with infinite possibility. (Commentaries by judges Kelly Sauvage and Bryan Rickert)

Gingko Walk Contest at the Haiku North America Conference 2021

I enjoyed so much the Haiku North America conference 2021! As one of the moderators, I was honored to introduce presenters Brad Bennett, Jennifer Hambrick, and Michael Dylan Welch. I also learned a lot from the presentations and from the renku session. Thank you, Linda Papanicolaou, for the informative and engaging workshop. I had fun with the other participants. Lastly, I am so thrilled that I won first place in the Gingko Walk contest conducted by Alan Pizzarelli and Donna Beaver. Haiku was barking when she knew I was excited about the wonderful news. lol

Watch the full video of the gingko walk here. Thank you, Alan Pizzarelli and Donna Beaver for this inspiring video. https://vimeo.com/630495692

Vispo Contest in Sonic Boom Journal

So honored to be included in Sonic Boom Journal's Vispo Gallery 2021. There were 93 entries and only 19 were selected. Yahoo! Clink here to see all the artwork. CONTESTS | sonicboom (wixsite.com)

The 24th Mainichi Haiku Contest (Honorable Mention)

I have been feeling crappy after getting my vaccine, but this wonderful surprise made my day! My haiku received honorable mention in the 24th Mainichi Haiku Contest. Congratulations to al the winners! Pragya Vishnoi (first prize) and Robert Kania(second prize). Honorable mentions include Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Lakshmi Iyer, Goran Gatalica, Mj Mayer, Ernesto Santiago, Agnes Savich, Priscilla Harlin-Lignori, etc. You can download the pdf of the full contest results here.

12TH Yamadera Basho Museum English Haiku Contest

I'm pleased to find out that these two haiku below were among the 186 selected haiku out of 308 submissions in the 12th Yamadera Basho Museum English Haiku Contest. 

Weighing Raindrops Haiku Contest 2020 by Narrow Road

I'm over the moon! Among 129 entries, my poem made it to the shortlist of Weighing Raindrops Haiku Contest! All the shortlisted poems will be published in the December 2020 issue of Narrow Road. My heartfelt thanks to the Narrow Road team! 

New Haiku Grand Prix ITO EN (North America) - Semi-finalist

My haiku was selected as a March semi-finalist. :-) 

To see the page of Shukan NY Seikatsu, which shows March semifinalists, click here. 

New Haiku Grand Prix (Ito En) North America

Just found out yesterday that my haiku made it to the semi-finals. So honored! Click here to see the other 6 finalists last February 2020.

Where Tanka Prose Grows 2019 (First Place)

I still can't believe that I won first place! I had two tanka written for the prose and I keep changing my mind. Too bad I can never know if I still would have won if I submitted the other tanka. Thank you so much to Amanda DCosta and Susan Burch for organizing this contest every year. 

Hope you enjoy my first attempt in submitting to this contest!

Eclipsed

     As soon as my eyes are closed, I’m swept into a library of dusty memories. The heaviest book from my crammed bookshelf easily slips between my hands. I’ve no choice because it opens itself and I’m instantly wearing my green and white uniform. Over and over, I stumble on the same sentences. I grasp for more words from a poem which I know I’ve memorized a hundred times. Nothing comes back to me. All I can gather are beads of sweat.

Then I miss the bus. Or did I just ride the wrong bus? Someone is waiting for me at home. He's now pacing back and forth while I’m going around in circles. Should I call and say I’m running late? Why can’t I remember anybody’s phone number?

I scurry in and out of shopping malls. Where’s the red dress I saw the other day? I rummage through a stack of clothes bins and squiggle my way deep into the bottom. Deeper…Deeper… Before I know it, I find myself running to a bus stop. I’m so relieved to see four-wheel vehicles leading to somewhere… But where is home? I try to fly. I know I could fly at one time. Maybe this time I would.

“What’s happening here? Why am I at the wrong side of the freeway? I’m going back to Oroville!!! We are supposed to be on our way to Sacramento?” his voice an octave higher.

I wake up from a haze, wondering which one isn’t real. 

a spiral

winding to the center

of a moon shell . . .

that time when I lived 

in a world of paper dolls

***Comment by contestants: This is an interesting tanka prose that presents a dreamlike state to the reader. The title and tanka work too.   I like the fact that the title has more than one meaning. I am not sure the last line of the prose is needed. One quibble is I was distracted by the several question-mark sentences in the second paragraph.

Click the link here to the website so you can see the other winners and enjoy their tanka prose as well.

Sonic Boom Senryu Contest (Honorable Mention)

Autumn Moon Haiku Contest 2018

Filipino translation:

                                                                      paghulog ng dahon . . .

paghahanap ng paraan
para magpaalam

Meet the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational 2018 Winners

As a follow up on the result of the VCBF Haiku Invitational 2018 contest, I'd like to share the interview conducted by Michael Dyan Welch last fall. Please click the link below. 

Christine L. Villa
United States Winner, 2018 VCBF Haiku Invitational

If you want to know the rest of the winners a little better through his or her responses and to learn their influences and recommendations regarding haiku poetry, follow this link. 

2018 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF) Haiku Invitational

This was totally unexpected! I got an email early September that my haiku had been selected as Best in the USA category. I had submitted a few times to the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival haiku contest in the past, but I had just won honorable mention last year. This year I am one of the 6 top winners! Thank you to the organizers and judges and congratulations to all the winners. 

I'm so thrilled to find out that the top poems in six main categories (Vancouver, BC, Canada, United States, International and Youth) will receive celebrity readings and be featured in creative ways during the 2018 festival some which include: publication in The Bulletin magazine, Haiku Canada newsletter, an online publication in the newsletter of the Haiku Society of America, printing in a chapbook hand-folded and bound by Victoria-based Leaf Press and publication on the VCBF website. Winning poems will be read by Christopher Gaze at the VSO’s Tea & Trumpets Concert, at our media-kickoff event, Cherry Jam Downtown concert by media celebrity emcee and celebrated at Sakura Days Japan Fair  Leith Wheeler Haiku House.

Click here to read all the winning poems. 

Annual Tanka Contest 2018 (Mandy's Pages)

I didn't expect this so I was so thrilled when I found out about it. It pays to resubmit a poem in another journal or contest even after it had been rejected. You just never know! 

Here is the comment of this year's judge, Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy.

 Another trim poem that says a lot in a few words.

There are two strands I read here- one of how “my wanting you” is sticky? And also how and how much “I want you” to love me back. Related but separate. Another interesting take for me as reader, that the author may not have made in mind, is how the sap of frangipani, which is toxic, can also be a balm for certain skin conditions. So another cautionary tale here- in small amounts, it’s all good. Make it too much, and it all goes to pot.

Isn’t this the trap into which many of us fall whilst we love? To be too close for comfort! That can leave one claustrophobic and screaming for some fresh air. This lack of space can often be the death knell to many a relationship.

Click here to enjoy all the winning selection and judge's comment.

Ito En Art of Haiku contest 2017

Another news today! I just received this from Ito En the Art of Haiku Contest - Semifinalist for the month of February. This is the February Semifinalists page of "Shukan NY Seikatsu." The Ito En website will be updated soon. Congratulations to Jessica Malone Latham, Barbara Kaufmann, Earl Keener, Neal Whitman, Valentina Ranaldi-Adams, and Raj K. Bose.

Here is my monoku:

tight ponytail my urgent to-do list

Wild Plum Haiku Contest 2018

     I forgot that I sent an entry to the Wild Plum Haiku Contest so it was a wonderful surprise to wake up this morning to find out on Facebook that my haiku has received an honorable mention. This contest received 312 entries from 41 countries. I am so honored and grateful! Congratulations to all the winners! You can read all the winning poems here. 

Scrytpic Magazine's First Annual Halloween Contest

Staying up until the wee hours of the morning to create this one was worth it! My very first mixed media art with face painting won the 3rd place in Scryptic's First  Annual Halloween Contest! Follow the link to find out all the winners and to read the judges' commentaries.

http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/396b91_573338d11aec4fe48e97f107523afd64.pdf

Here's my certificate of award.