Annual Tanka Contest 2018

Welcome to the Annual Tanka Contest 2018 at Mandy's Pages. Tanka is a poetic genre that has its origins in Japanese poetry. It is made up of five lines and has a unique poetic style that is short and lyrical, making it a 'little song'.

This year's judge is none other than our favorite Shrikaanth, well-known, loved and respected in the poetic circles. It is my honor to have him preside over this contest as the judge. Truly makes me very happy. Thank you, Shrikaanth.

Contest Details

Contest Duration: June 01, 2018 to June 30, 2018

Entry: First submission FREE. Subsequent tanka submissions by participant at an entry fee of USD 2.00 each.

Submission: One to many tanka as per entry fee criteria.

Entry fee payment by Paypal only, sent in to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Theme: Open Theme. You may submit tanka of your choice that have not been published before. No plagiarism allowed.

Content: Original tanka written specifically for this contest with no prior submissions or publications elsewhere either in print or online, which includes public posts on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

(Please Note: Mandy's Pages is a family-friendly site. Therefore content should not be overly adult, profane, explicit, abusive, or sexual in nature.)

Additional Reading: Contestants are encouraged to read 'Enriching Your Tanka-Writing Experience: It's All About Quality' before you submit your tanka. (Click the title here or check link within the right side panel of screen)

Tanka Judge: Dr. Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy

Announcement of Winners: Judging will take place for a period of two to four weeks after the close of the contest. This duration is based on the amount of tanka we receive during the submission period.

Submission Procedure:

(Copy and Paste into email)

Addressed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Subject: ATC 2018 tanka entry (your name)

(Body of the email)

Name:

Place / Country:

Number of tanka submissions:

Tanka Entry:

Prizes

First Prize : USD 100.00 + Books (Notes from a Commode, Vol 1, Three-Part Harmony , eggshell sky) + e-Certificate

Second Prize: USD 50 + e-Certificate

Third Prize: e-Certificate

(Cash Prizes sponsored by Mandy's Pages)

About the Judge

Dr. Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy is a psychiatrist from Bengaluru, India, living in England since over fifteen years. Keenly interested in languages, he writes poetry in several languages including Kannada, Sankethi, Sanskrit, Tamil and English. A trained vocalist and a writer/composer in Karnataka Sangeetha, he has also created a few hundred classical compositions in many languages and Ragas, ancient and modern. Two CDs of his compositions rendered by renowned musicians have been released.

He is particularly interested in tanka, haiku, haibun and other allied haikai genres. His writings have been widely published in journals, anthologised, and won prizes internationally. He has served as editor for anthologies and international journals such as Cattails- the journal of the United Haiku and Tanka Society and Blithe Spirit, journal of the British Haiku Society. He currently edits and publishes ephemerae, a journal of haikai, tanka and beyond.

He notes that haiku and tanka help one go beneath the trappings of culture and genre, and tap into the very essence of nature, including human nature. Dawn chorus is not culturally bound, nor is the moon or the rapture one feels on seeing the riot of colours in spring and autumn. Likewise, happiness, sorrow, grief and the gamut of emotions are not culture-bound thought its expressions may be. Especially with the latter, tanka allow us to connect from heart to heart whilst also learn about cultural and individual expressions on the foundation of that emotional commonality.

To Shrikaanth, writing is not only a means of expression, but also a form of therapy to overcome day to day stress, a way to connect to other people, and to foster understanding. It helps him find deeper meanings in life.

For more info about ephemerae, click on this link

https://www.thehaikufoundation.org/forum_sm/index.php?topic=10201.0

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Michael H. Lester awards the First Place winner with his book, Notes From a Commode, Vol 1. Michael, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly value your support, and wish you the very best with your literary aspirations and work.

Notes from a Commode: https://www.amazon.com/Notes-Commode-Michael-H-Lester/dp/1540820270

Debbie Strange awards the First Place Winner a copy of her latest work Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses. Thank you so much Debbie for your ongoing support.

Three-Part Harmony: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1986077934