Sanford Goldstein 

International Tanka Contest: 

Past Winners and Judges’ Comments

Past Winners and Judges’ Comments

Some of the best reading offered in tanka literature is almost a genre in itself—contest winners’ poems and judges’ comments. Not only do these results present the reader with inspiring poems but also enlightened analysis, a combination of example and interpretation that promises to offer new insights or, at the very least, reaffirm insights already gained, sometimes with varying and surprising points of view. We are pleased to present the results of all TSA tanka contests since the inception of the Tanka Society of America in 2000, plus videos showcasing winners for all years from 2019 onward. The contest was renamed after tanka pioneer, scholar, translator, and poet Sanford Goldstein in 2015, who died in 2023.