Tanka Contest 2026, Online Tanka Poetry Competition
Quick answer: Enter Writory's monthly tanka contest 2026. Five-line tanka in the Japanese tradition judged on five criteria, cash prizes, results on the 30th every month.
Five lines, thirteen centuries, and still the tanka finds room for a whole human heart. Writory's monthly contest welcomes tanka in the Japanese tradition and in its modern English-language forms, written in any language. Entries open on the 1st of every month and close on the 25th, results arrive on the 30th, winners take cash prizes, and every poet receives a participation certificate.
Every tanka you submit earns a five-criteria score breakdown in your profile: creativity, emotion, structure, language, and theme. Strict 5-7-5-7-7 or free five-line form, tanka sequences too, all are welcome, and you compete alongside poets from more than 50 countries.
Writory's monthly international poetry contest welcomes tanka in classical and modern styles, with cash prizes and a five-criteria score for every entry.
Why enter
- Judges respect the form's inner turn: the pivot from image to feeling that gives a tanka its depth is read and rewarded.
- Classical 5-7-5-7-7 syllable patterns and modern free five-line tanka are equally welcome.
- Brevity is never penalized: your five lines are scored with the same weight as any long poem.
- No theme restrictions: love and longing, the tanka's oldest subjects, or anything else your five lines can carry.
- An international stage with poets from 50+ countries, and tanka sequences and single poems both compete.
What winners and entrants receive
- Cash prizes for the monthly winners.
- Winners receive free entry into next month's contest.
- A participation certificate for every single entrant.
- The top 10 poems feature on the monthly leaderboard.
Classical tanka, modern free-form tanka, tanka strings and sequences, and kyoka are all welcome.
Key facts
- Entries open the 1st, close the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results on the 30th.
- One poem $5, two poems $8, five poems $15 (Rs 150 / Rs 220 / Rs 450 in India).
- Every poem scored by human judges on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme.
- A participation certificate for every entrant, not only winners, and the score is visible in your profile.
- Cash prizes for winners, free entry the following month for winners, open worldwide from age 13, any language.
Questions
Do I have to follow the strict 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count?
No. The classical count is welcome, and so are modern tanka that treat five short lines as the true shape of the form. Judges score the poem, not the syllable arithmetic.
How is a tanka judged fairly against longer poems?
Every entry is scored on the same five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language, and theme. A tanka's pivot and emotional turn shine in this system, and you see the full breakdown in your profile.
What does it cost to enter the tanka contest?
The entry fee is small and is shown in your local currency on the submit page. Every entrant receives a participation certificate, and three consecutive months of participation earns a free entry.
When are the results announced?
Entries open on the 1st of each month and close on the 25th. Results are announced on the 30th, and winners receive free entry into the next month's contest.
By the Writory editorial team. Updated July 2026.
Enter the September contest · All poetry competitions 2026: deadlines & prizes · International poetry contest · Past winners · Read the winning poems