- The Open category is for poets 18+ years. There is NO theme.
- Open Junior is for 17 years and under. The theme for this category is IDENTITY, which the poet can interpret in any way. For example: identity theft, mistaken identity, digital identity, how we see & describe ourselves, etc.
- Entry fees : Open NZD 8.00 per poem for NZPS members; 10.00 for non-NZPS members. Open Jr 2.50 per poem.
- Each poem is to be no more than 32 lines in length. The poem title is not included in the line count. Please use 1.5 spacing.
- The font to be used is Garamond 10 point. Poems in Word format, please. Only submit a PDF when a specific layout is important.
- Poems are to be your original work and with no Artificial Intelligence involvement. We want your best!
- Entries are judged blind, so do NOT include your name in your document. If personal information appears, the entry will be disqualified, and the entry fee will not be refunded.
- Poems must not have been previously published in any form (including self-published, published on a website or blog, broadcast, or made public via social media).
- Please send the final version of your poem(s). We will not accept new versions or changes to your work during the judging and anthology selection process. The editor may lightly edit for house style, spelling, and layout for the anthology. Once entered, poems cannot be withdrawn from the competition.
- Entries should not be submitted for publication anywhere else until AFTER August 31, 2026, Aotearoa New Zealand time as they may be considered for inclusion in our annual anthology.
We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Jeanette Stace Poetry Trust.
- The Haiku Junior section is for those who are 17 years old or younger on May 31, 2026. There is no theme for this category.
- Entry fees are NZD - adult NZPS member 2.50 per haiku or 12.50 for 5 haiku; non-NZPS 4.00 per haiku or 17.50 for 5 haiku. Haiku Jr 1.00 per haiku or 5.00 for 5 haiku.
- NO TITLES are to be given to haiku, including senryu.
- The font to be used is Garamond 10 point. Poems in Word format, please. Only submit a PDF when a specific layout is important.
- We want your original work, so do not use artificial intelligence (AI) software to help write your haiku.
- Entries are judged blind, so do NOT include your name in your document. If personal information appears, the entry will be disqualified, and the entry fee will not be refunded.
- Haiku must not have been previously published in any form (including self-published, published on a website or blog, broadcast, or made public via social media).
- Please send the final version of your haiku. We will not accept new versions or changes to your work during the judging and anthology selection process. The editor may lightly edit for house style, spelling, and layout for the anthology. Once entered, haiku cannot be withdrawn from the competition.
- Entries should not be submitted for publication anywhere else until AFTER August 31, 2026, Aotearoa New Zealand time as they may be considered for inclusion in our annual anthology.
We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Jeanette Stace Poetry Trust.
- The Haiku Junior section is for those who are 17 years old or younger on May 31, 2026. There is no theme for this category.
- The Open Junior category theme is IDENTITY, which the poet can interpret in any way. For example: identity theft, mistaken identity, digital identity, how we see & describe ourselves, etc.
- Entry fees are NZD 9.00 for 10 haiku; 23.00 for 10 poems; 18.00 for 20 haiku; 45.00 for 20 poems.
- NO TITLES are to be given to haiku, including senryu.
- Each poem is to be no more than 32 lines in length. The poem title is not included in the line count. Please use 1.5 spacing.
- The font to be used is Garamond 10 point. Poems in Word format. Only submit a PDF when a specific layout is important and to assist with formatting if the work is selected for the annual anthology.
- Original work only, so please DO NOT use artificial intelligence.
- Poems must not have been previously published in any form (including self-published, published on a website or blog, broadcast, or made public via social media).
- The students’ names must be recorded only on the entry form. This is to ensure that the entries are judged blind. Submissions with any other form of identification on the poems themselves will be immediately disqualified and entry fees will not be returned.
- Each entry must be the original work of the student. Please ensure each haiku, including senryu, is clearly attributed to the correct student.
- If you are 18 years old but part of a school group, you may still enter as part of that school group.