Renku ContestF

urther to our call for content for the

Journal of Renga & Renku

, we are delighted to be able to announce a

renku contest

too. Details below:

Entry fee

: None

Deadline

: 1 October 2010

Prizes

1. The winning poem will be published, together with a detailed critique, in theinaugural issue of the

Journal of Renga & Renku

. All entries will be considered ascontent for inclusion in the journal.2. A small (and yet to be selected) book will be sent by way of congratulation to thesabaki (only) of the winning poem.

Details

1. Only renku in the

triparshva

form are eligible for this contest2. There is no limit on the number of entries you may send3. Both solo and collaborative triparshva are eligible4. Previously published triparshva are also eligible for the contest5. Triparshva that include verses written by either of the judges, or that have been led by one of the judges, are NOT eligible for this contest

Entry procedure

The leader or sabaki of the poem is designated the contest entrant and should do thefollowing:1. Send a clean copy of the poem (stripped of initials, schema notes, renju's namesetc.) as a Word (or RTF) document attachment toRengaRenku@gmail.com (RengaRenku AT gmail DOT com)2. Mark the subject line: Triparshva contest/name of poem/name of sabaki, e.g.

Triparshva contest/Beneath Thin Snow/Norman Darlington

3. In the body of the email, paste the following text:

I hereby confirm that I have obtained consent from all of the participating poets toenter this poem in the JRR contest, and to offer it for publication by JRR

4. There is no need to list the names or number of poets who contributed to the poem.

We'll contact you later for this information if we decide to publish.

Judging criteria

We will look for:1. evidence of appreciation of both the renku genre and its triparshva form2. successful employment of jo-ha-kyu movement3. effective use of, and variety in, linking techniques4. a rattling good read

Contest judges

Norman Darlington (proposer of the triparshva form) & Moira Richards, editors and publishers of the forthcoming

Journal of Renga & Renku

. Both are active in the studyand practice of the genre, have served as renku editors for various publications, andled or contributed to renku published in more than two dozen online and print journalsaround the world.

Why a one-form renku contest?

Every JRR contest will feature a different form of the genre, in order toa) promote appreciation of the distinctive features of the various forms of the genreand how they can be employed to different ends in the writing of poems, and b) encourage poets to explore more fully the possibilities of one form, and toappreciate what others do with it.

Why the triparshva form?

With 22 verses, the triparshva is short enough to facilitate remote composition over areasonable period of time, yet with 6, 10, and 6 verses respectively, each sideencompasses one of the jo-ha-kyu modes, and is long enough to allow a paceddynamic development in the style of the kasen. Since the publication of the triparshvadesign in 2005, it has been the successful vehicle of numerous poems by poets on fivecontinents.

Want to learn more about renku and triparshva?

1. Lots of great reading matter, including information about the triparshva form, fromJohn Carley here:http://www.renkureckoner.co.uk and excellent material from Bill Higginson here: