From The Haiku Foundation:

“In 2022, as part of its mission to expand possibilities for English-language haiku, The Haiku Foundation added The Touchstone Award for Individual Haibun to the two other awards in its Touchstone Award Series: the Touchstone Award for Individual Poems and the Touchstone Distinguished Books Award. Collections of or including haibun have always been eligible for a Distinguished Book Award; this new Award allows for the recognition of individual pieces.”

“All awards seek to reward excellence and innovation each calendar year. Results are determined through a year-long nomination and selection process and are released the following year on April 17, International Haiku Poetry Day. Award recipients are selected by independent panels comprised of authorities in the field.”

For details about the selection process and the panelists, see Touchstone Award for Individual Haibun.

---

As stated in the Touchstone guidelines, journal editors may nominate up to 24 haibun, depending on how many they published overall for the year. And the number an editor may nominate from each issue is based on the total number of haibun published in the issue.

A total of 92 haibun appeared across the five issues (Numbers 26-30) of MacQueen’s Quinterly this year, and I’m happily nominating 21 of them as listed below.

The first list is alphabetized by author’s last name, and the second is arranged by Issue. There are no reprints included, since haibun that were first published elsewhere are not eligible. Also not eligible, haibun written by this year’s Touchstone Panelists: Billie Dee, Richard L. Matta, and Lorraine A Padden.

(Note: The Awards Committee will also consider nominations from individual poets. For details, see Entry Form for Individuals’ Touchstone Award Nominations.)

With much gratitude to the 20 authors listed below for publishing with MacQ, I’m delighted to post my nominations here for the Touchstone Awards for Individual Haibun. Results will be announced next Spring. Best of luck to all the nominees!

---

Nominations Listed in Order of Author’s Last Name:

1. Fade to Black by Cynthia Anderson
   
   
2. Tangle and Split [haibun story] by Mikki Aronoff
   
   
3. Minutes from the PTA Meeting by Shawn Aveningo-Sanders
   
   
4. Tiny Love Story by Roberta Beary
   
   
5. Diary by Eugene Datta
   
   
6. The Color We Come From by Cherie Hunter Day
   
   
7. Silver Linings by Margaret Dornaus
   
   
8. Rediscovery of America [satire] by Keith Evetts
   
   
9. Today, Tomorrow, Always [haibun story] by Jennifer L. Freed
   
   
10. Effervescent [braided haibun] by Nikki Fryer
    
    
11. Turning by David J Kelly
    
    
12. Adam offers apples to tempt the Land Girls as told to me by the London-born one. [haibun story, ekphrastic] by Joan Leotta
    
    
13. Coming of Age by Clare Martin
    
    
14. A Burrito with Bashō by Keith Polette
    
    
15. Fire Stealers by Keith Polette
    
    
16. The Cadence by Kala Ramesh
    
    
17. During Your Shower Break by Gary S. Rosin
    
    
18. Returning to the Oncologist After the Mask Mandate Is Dropped by [braided haibun] Tracey Royce
    
    
19. Morning Ritual by Daryl Scroggins
    
    
20. Missing █ by Lew Watts
    
    
21. All That Shines [haibun story] by Mary White
    
    

Nominations Listed by Issue:

1. MacQ-26 (1 January 2025):

• “Silver Linings” by Margaret Dornaus
  
  
• “During Your Shower Break” by Gary S. Rosin
  
  
• “Returning to the Oncologist After the Mask Mandate Is Dropped” by Tracy Royce
  
  

2. MacQ-27 (24 March 2025):

• “Tiny Love Story” by Roberta Beary
  
  
• “Rediscovery of America” by Keith Evetts
  
  
• “Adam offers apples to tempt the Land Girls as told to me by the London-born one.” by Joan Leotta
  
  
• “The Cadence” by Kala Ramesh
  
  

3. MacQ-28 (21 April 2025):

• “Minutes from the PTA Meeting” by Shawn Aveningo-Sanders
  
  
• “The Color We Come From” by Cherie Hunter Day
  
  
• “Effervescent” by Nikki Fryer
  
  
• “Missing █” by Lew Watts
  
  
• “All That Shines” by Mary White
  
  

4. MacQ-29 (20 August 2025):

• “Tangle and Split” by Mikki Aronoff
  
  
• “Coming of Age” by Clare Martin
  
  
• “A Burrito with Bashō” by Keith Polette
  
  
• “Morning Ritual” by Daryl Scroggins
  
  

5. MacQ-30 (14 September 2025):

• “Fade to Black” by Cynthia Anderson
  
  
• “Diary” by Eugene Datta
  
  
• “Today, Tomorrow, Always” by Jennifer L. Freed
  
  
• “Turning” by David J Kelly
  
  
• “Fire Stealers” by Keith Polette
  
  

---

Links to MacQ nominations for previous years:

Touchstone Awards for Individual Haibun, 2024

Touchstone Awards for Individual Haibun, 2023

Touchstone Awards for Individual Haibun, 2022