March 1 – June 1

The Haiku Invitational is an international online contest that attracts submissions from all over the world.

The 2026 Haiku Invitational is now closed.

The top poems in six main categories (Vancouver, BC, Canada, the United States, International, and Youth (age 17 and under) will be featured in the Haiku Canada newsletter, an online publication in the newsletter of the Haiku Society of America, and published on the VCBF website.

These haiku will not only be showcased but also receive special celebrity readings, bringing them to life in a truly captivating manner during the Festival. Moreover, they take center stage in the Haiku Exhibition, where Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Watuth, and Japanese-Canadian visual artists transform these poetic gems into stunning visual pieces. As we look ahead, our program is set to grow even further, as we plan to collaborate with talented Japanese artists this Spring, fostering cross-cultural creativity and celebrating the essence of haiku through a global lens.

To encourage the writing, reading, and appreciation of this poetic form judges choose poems in additional categories of “Sakura Awards” and “Honourable Mention.”

Top 2026 Winners

See judges’ commentary on winning poems and our other standout haiku submissions!

2026 HAIKU INVITATIONAL

Judges

John S Green

John S Green, author of Whimsy Park: Children’s Poems for the Whole Family, is widely published in all styles of poetry especially Japanese-form poetry. John has been a facilitator of Bellingham Haiku for eight years and currently serves on the Seabeck Haiku Getaway team as registrar. John lived in Europe before moving to the United States at age thirteen, and now lives in Bellingham, Washington. His daughter cooks with spice, and his wife still laughs at his jokes.

Paul Miller

Paul Miller is an internationally awarded and anthologized short-form poet. He is the editor of Modern Haiku and author of six haiku collections, several of which have won book awards. His latest collection, Magnolia Diary, is available from Modern Haiku Press. He is a California native who lives in Florida’s panhandle.

Isabella Mori

Isabella Mori writes haiku, senryu, haibun, haiga, tanka, renku, and zuihitsu, as well as longer poems and various forms of prose, and is the author of four books, two of them of and about haiku, A Bagful of Haiku and Not So Pretty Haiku. Their haikai have appeared in publications such as Circle of Salt, #FemkuMag, Cutting Letters Anthology, and Presence. They are an active member of the Vancouver Haiku Group and the founder of Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize, Canada’s most unusual poetry contest, for which the entry fee is showing how the poet contributes to their community. Isabella’s latest book, Believe Me, combines poetry, stories, interviews, and research about mental health and addiction. They live on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh lands, aka Vancouver, British Columbia.

Programs subject to change.

All event titles are protected trademarks of the Festival