It's my pleasure to present the latest winners from The Best Haiku annual, international search. This year's anthology - Collection 4 - presents traditional and modern poems reflecting many cultures, passions, observations and creative points-of-view, and features these prize-winning poets...

• David Groskind from Canada
• John Pappas of the United States
• Rin Namakura from Japan
• Ellie Jones from England, and
• Marjolein Rotsteeg of The Netherlands

(BTW, if you're not a haiku lover or writer, after reading this juried collection, I predict you'll become one or both!)

The Best Haiku collections started when I became reacquainted with short poetry in my spare time.I started reading haiku online and "liking" those that moved and entertained me -- I called my likes "Haiku Crushes" on social media. Each evening after work, I read dozens and shared them with other poetry enthusiasts. My crushes were near-daily for about a year before I decided to start a search-and-awards competition, to find great haiku submitted to the HaikuCrush.com site I launched. Hundreds of haiku were evaluated by a panel of judges to select 50 winners for this book, with honorariums going to the best of The Best Haiku Collection 4.

I hope you find enjoyment in them.

p.s.If my prediction comes true, I'll look forward to reading your haiku in2025!

All the Best,
Stephen FitzGerald, editor