Tanka Society of America


Welcome to the Tanka Society of America website. Here you can learn more about the society, its activities, and membership benefits. You can also learn more about our journal, Ribbons, our annual tanka contest, and our membership anthologies. If you’re not already a member, please read the Top-Five Benefits of TSA Membership and JOIN OR RENEW TODAY.
 

Tanka poetry has a history of more than 1,300 years in Japan and 100 years in English. Originally written in the Japanese Imperial court, when it was known as waka, tanka has grown to be a worldwide genre of poetry written in English on a variety of topics, usually in five lines. Join fellow members of the Tanka Society of America, founded in 2000, in discovering, sharing, studying, preserving, and appreciating this vibrant genre of English-language poetry.

 

Please also visit our Facebook page.

TSA News

  • Tanka Monday Final Schedule Tanka Monday is just one week away. Check out the final schedule, featuring a pleasing variety of readings, presentations, writing exercises, an anonymous workshop, group discussion, and more. Hope to ...
    Posted Aug 4, 2019, 1:28 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • Goldstein Tanka Contest Deadline Extended The deadline for the TSA’s Goldstein International Tanka Contest has been extended for one week, to June 7, 2019, so if you haven’t already submitted, you’ve now ...
    Posted Jun 1, 2019, 1:18 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • Alexis Rotella to Edit the 2019 TSA Members’ Anthology The Tanka Society of America is pleased to announce that Alexis Rotella will edit the 2019 TSA members’ anthology. The submission window is slightly different this year—July 15 to ...
    Posted Mar 14, 2019, 2:06 PM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • Tanka Monday Call for Proposals The Tanka Society of America is pleased to announce that it will have another tanka conference immediately after Haiku North America, this year in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Tanka Monday ...
    Posted Feb 28, 2019, 11:11 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • 2019 TSA Calendar and Tanka Contest Our TSA Calendar has recently been updated for 2019. On it, you’ll see that we’re having another tanka conference after Haiku North America, this time calling it Tanka ...
    Posted Feb 9, 2019, 7:52 PM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • 2018-19 Tanka Society of America Election Results Thank you to members who voted in the 2018–19 Tanka Society of America officer election. Here are the results, representing 70 people who voted:PRESIDENT:     Michael Dylan Welch 63 ...
    Posted Sep 28, 2018, 11:57 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • 2018-19 Tanka Society of America Election The Tanka Society of America is pleased to announce its election for 2018-19 officers. Although this election has been delayed, officers have been acting in various positions, or continuing ...
    Posted Aug 30, 2018, 1:15 PM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • 2018 TSA Anthology Announced Just posted to the TSA Anthologies page is a link to submission guidelines for our 2018 Tanka Society of America membership anthology, to be edited by Shrikaanth Krishnamuthy. The submission ...
    Posted Sep 22, 2018, 10:44 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • 2018 Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest Results Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest, judged by Jessica Malone Latham and Neal Whitman. Results and commentary are now live, with the top three ...
    Posted Aug 12, 2018, 12:23 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
  • 2018 Tanka Contest The in-hand deadline for the 2018 Sanford Goldstein tanka contest is May 31, 2018. For more information, visit the “How to Enter the Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest” page ...
    Posted Apr 7, 2018, 9:53 AM by Michael Dylan Welch
Showing posts 1 - 10 of 67. View more »

 

2018 Contest Winners

          Judged by Jessica Malone Latham
          and Neal Whitman

 

 

          First Place
 
           the ocean
           was in a rage last night
           but today,
           these peace offerings
           of blue mussels and kelp

                Debbie Strange
 
 
          Second Place

 

           a gift
           within a gift
           poppies
           holding the silence
           in the shape of petals

                Kathy Kituai
 

 

          Third Place

 

           no resolutions
           this New Year’s Day
           I will make
           changes to my life
           in the early days of spring

                Alison Williams


          Honorable Mentions

 

                Louis Osofsky
                Christine L. Villa
                Sheila Sondik
                Michael Lester
                Debbie Strange (x2)


          Read more TSA Contest winners.