Tanka Time 2015
Welcome, one and all, to the first of few tanka challenges for the year ‘Tanka Time 2015’ at Mandy’s Pages. We have been trying to decide on the theme for this year’s friendly interactive tanka experience… and it hasn’t been all that easy, considering every word we’d pick has potential for a brilliant tanka, and yet, hasn’t been impressive either.
After a search for words through a random word-pick site, we decided upon ‘Companion’. How can you depict your idea of companion as a noun or a verb without actually referring to it?
‘Guidelines for Submission’ as well as the ‘Judging Procedure’ are outlined below.
Please be aware that Mandy’s Pages is a family-friendly site. Therefore, kindly avoid submitting content that is graphic or explicit in content.
Thank you for your support and for participating.
~ Susan Burch & Amanda Dcosta
Guidelines for Submission
- Theme: COMPANION
- Form: Individual tanka
- Each participant is allowed to submit ONLY ONE individual tanka to Tanka Time starting March 01, 2015.
- Submissions have to be original and unpublished tanka. (Tanka shared via social media will not be accepted.)
- There will be no entry fee for Tanka Time participation.
- Email your entries to Susan Burch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We start accepting submissions from March 01, 2015.
- Subject for the email will be: Tanka Time #2: COMPANION / Author's Name
- You will add details such as name and location below your tanka in the body of the email.
- Please do not send any attachments along with your email. Each tanka should be neatly spaced in the body of the email.
- We request that you do not disclose your submissions online at public discussions prior to judging.
Judging Procedure
- Tanka Time #1 runs from March 01, 2015 – March 31, 2015. Judging will take place during the first week of April 2015.
- Each participant will have to judge the list of entries in order to be an active participant for the respective round. Failure to judge the entries will automatically disqualify the entrant from scoring points.
- Each participant will receive the list of submissions by email.
- Entries will be anonymous.
- You are not allowed to rate your submission.
- Rating will follow a specific pattern. Each participant has a total of 7 points to distribute between the tanka of their choice. These 7 points may be awarded to tanka as 1, 2 or 3 points each, with 3 points awarded to only one entry from the list.
- All scores will be tallied to determine the winners.
- The results of Tanka Time will be announced by April 15.
- The top three entries will be posted on the website.
- Each winning entry will receive a ‘Certificate of Merit’ from Mandy’s Pages.
- You may leave a comment for the poet. Please be courteous in your approach.
Stay Tuned for the Annual Tanka Contest at Mandy's Pages
Mandy’s Pages will be organizing the Annual Tanka Contest in June. Those who have missed out on the previous contests may find details at the Annual Tanka Contest link. As with the earlier rounds, we have excellent judges to preside over this contest and cash prizes to award worthy contestants. Do check back frequently for more details.
This Annual Tanka Contest is supported by contributions and sponsorship from contestants and readers alike. These contributions may be in the form of cash, books (any genre) or a fully-paid membership subscriptions to journals or magazines (for the term of your choice). I request your continued support this year too and thank you in advance for this kind consideration. Please note, those who sponsor the contest will automatically earn advertising space at the contest pages for your organization, book(s) or webpages. I urge you to take that step towards supporting Mandy’s Pages and in turn supporting the spirit of tanka. I will be personally grateful to you for your support. For more details, you may contact me at my email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
~ Mandy