The quest has begun …
We’re looking for northern writers who may choose to write in their first language and provide an English translation
Would you like to experience the thrill of seeing your haiku poems selected and published in a haiku collection by northern poets from the Yukon, the N.W.T., Nunavut and Nunavik?
The Northern Haiku Project is on a quest for submissions of spring and summer haiku, to add to the collection of fall and winter poems curated so far. The project is coordinated by solstice haiku members, Charlotte Hrenchuk, Pam Harry, Lillian Nakamura Maguire and Sandra St-Laurent.*
For the Northern Haiku Anthology, the first collection of fall and winter poems were selected by the coordinators in April and May of 2025. Sandra St-Laurent presented a short video highlighting a sampling of English and French poems at the Haiku Canada Conference 2025, held in Quebec. To view the video, check out the northernhaikuproject.com website.
The poems, curated by the project team, had a big impact on the national audience. St-Laurent said that audience members were “moved to tears, some getting a feel for what it is like to be a northerner, and others were energized by the northern spirit.”
Northern Haiku Project members would like to encourage those interested in writing and submitting spring and summer poems to attend upcoming workshops for beginners to experienced writers. The next workshop will be offered online, via Zoom, on Saturday, July 19 (Pacific Time), from 10 a.m. to noon. Other workshops may be scheduled depending on interest and time available.
Over the next couple of months, the Project will accept submissions of spring- and summer-themed northern haiku, with a deadline of August 31. The aim is to have a collection selected and ready for publication by early winter.
We’re looking for northern writers who may choose to write in their first language and provide an English translation. Modern English-language haiku does not necessarily follow the traditional Japanese 5-7-5 syllable structure. In fact, contemporary English-language haiku is often fewer than 17 syllables. Haikui poets aim for 10 to 12 syllables written in one to four lines. Check out the resources on our website and be in touch if you want to join us on Zoom.
Contact northernhaikuproject@gmail.com for more information or check out our Facebook page.
*solstice haiku was founded by kjmunro (Katherine J. Munro) in 2014 and has grown to include new and published poets who write in both English and French. Munro facilitates the monthly solstice haiku discussions. Contact her via her website at kjmunro1560.wordpress.com
