Haiku Festival

  • Haiku Fest Judges

  • We gratefully acknowledge the following judges who gave their time, talent and treasures to support Haiku Festival 2008:

    Carolyn Aguila
    poet, author of
    Flirting with Rhyme
    -since 2006

    Marilyn Allen
    poet and healthcare administrator
    -since 2004

    Dr. Wayne Allen Jones
    poet, therapist

    Dan Godston
    poet, educator

    Katriél
    author of Night Fall, VP
    Chicago Writers’ Collective
    -since 2006

    Renée K. Moore
    poet, educator
    Cave Canem Alumna
    -since 2004

    Sidney Simmons
    writer, photographer and master chef
    -since 2007

    Valerie Martt Wallace, poet,
    founder:
    DeepDishPoemAMonth.com
    Administrative Manager:
    University of Chicago
    Philosophy Dept.
    -since 2004

    Michael Covenant Watson
    poet, host of Wordslingers WLUW, 88.7 FM.
    -since 2006

--Caroline Montag, 1st Prize winner

  • Haiku Fest 2008 Winners

  • Haiku Fest awarded certificates to all participating student poets. Thanks to over 900 poets, parents and teachers for making Haiku Fest successful. For more information on the event, click here.
  • We proudly announce the following commendations:
    • First Prize: $100
    • "Fog"
      The fog surrounds me
      When suddenly lightning strikes
      Clearing up the world
    • Caroline Montag, Age 12, Grade 7
      University of Chicago Lab School
    • Second Prize: $50
    • “Fireworks”
      Loud soaring banging
      Smokey lights with excitement
      Old night but New Year
    • Annalyn Mendoza, Age 13, Grade 8
      St. Benedict Elementary, Chicago
    • Third Prize: $25
    • "Broken vase"
      Kaboom crash and bang
      There's yelling screaming barking
      Apologizing.
    • Zach Kogut, Age 11, Grade 6
      St. Viator, Chicago
    • Founders Award: $20
    • "Untitled"
      As the sun goes down
      Darkness covers winter's sky
      Until dawn breaks loose
    • Ramon Ruiz, Age 12, Grade 7
      St. Agnes of Bohemia, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Untitled"
      Passive Bystander
      Disengaged Don't care at all
      A crime far worse? No
    • Mary Greta Behnke, Age 14, Grade 8
      University of Chicago Lab School
    • Honorable Mention:
    • “Untitled”
      What a way to go
      Crushed in a garbage compact
      Poor old Jimmy-boy
    • Dylan Lambert-Gilliam, Age 14, Grade 8
      University of Chicago Lab School
    • Honorable Mention:
    • ”Untitled”
      the bird that does fly
      yes it flies above the storm
      oh look the eagle!
    • Cara Harris, Age 12, Grade 7
      Keller Magnet School, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • “Changing Night to Morning"
      A sliver of light
      Journeying through the night time
      Speaks of the morning
    • Nisha Riley, Age 11, Grade 5
      High Point School, Orland Park, IL
    • Honorable Mention:
    • “Whispers”
      Small whispers of spring
      trees glowing around a lake
      the cool breeze distant
    • Kathryn Skrundz, Age 14, Grade 8
      St. Benedict Elementary, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Love"
      What is love about
      Am I in love with someone
      first love is crazy
    • Ciara Taylor, Age 12, Grade 6
      William Ryder, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • “Midnight Surprise”
      At night feeling her
      I sense her touch it feels great
      Turns out she's a man
    • Benny Wah, Age 13, Grade 8
      University of Chicago Lab School
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Rebirth"
      Winter is no more!
      New life fresh hope joy and love
      Now the earth is green
    • Nathan Gillespie, Age 10, Grade 4
      St. Matthias Transfiguration, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "The Mind"
      The mind is a gift
      Imagination is too
      Only when believed
    • Adam Gray, Age 14, Grade 8
      University of Chicago Lab School
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Fighting in the War"
      Killing the soldiers
      Sensing I am in danger
      Boom! Boom! Boom! I'm dead
    • Demetrius Jones, Age 14, Grade 8
      Arnold Mireles Academy, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Winter Earrings"
      Icicles hanging
      The earrings that winter wears
      Sparkling in the sun
    • Fallon K., Age 9, Grade 4
      St. Mary of the Woods, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Unconditional"
      Sweet as the bird's song
      As strong as the lion's roar
      Beats the mother's heart
    • Maurice Nichols, Age 14, Grade 8
      Arnold Mireles Academy, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "The Horse"
      Hooves fly over ground.
      Nostrils flare to drink the wind.
      This is the bold horse.
    • Courtney Payne, Age 10, Grade 5
      Payne Learning Academy, Crete, IL
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "The Tango"
      Flares and then fire
      The quick movements side to side
      The rose hits the ground
    • Andrea Santiago, Age 13, Grade 7
      St. Benedict Elementary, Chicago
    • Honorable Mention:
    • "Untitled"
      A blank empty page
      The scratching of a pencil
      Sound of loneliness
    • Catherine Yunis, Age 13, Grade 8
      University of Chicago Lab School

  • Haiku Fest Deadline: Saturday, 24 March 2012 @ MIDNIGHT

  • Haiku Festival Awards will be issued on:
    Saturday, 28 April 2012
    10:00 AM
    Harold Washington Library
    400 South State Street
    Chicago, Illinois

    FREE Admission

  • Special Guest for our 8th Annual Awards Program is Valerie Wallace, author of Dictators' Guide to Good Housekeeping

  • Enter Online

  • Download Entry Form

  • Contact Information

  • eMail:  Info@HaikuFest.com
  • Mail:    Haiku Fest
                   Post Office Box 450
                   Chicago, IL 60690
  • Phone:  312-253-7453