We are thrilled to announce the four winners of this year’s Haiku Contest! Each of the following poems was selected by judge and San Mateo Poet Laureate Emerita Aileen Cassinetto from among over 400 individual haiku poems submitted this year. We invite you to see these poems displayed throughout the Garden! Also check out the winners and other submissions at filoli.org/haiku
A sanctuary for healing and building connections for all people, Filoli boasts “654 acres of beauty nestled along the slopes of California’s coastal range… which includes a nature preserve with 5 distinct ecosystems.” In acknowledging Filoli’s role in ecology and conservation and as an arts and cultural hub, it is important to also highlight how the staff addresses climate change and sustainability while retaining historic viewsheds. Filoli’s Kara Newport outlines the process and challenges of adapting a timeless garden in this article in the Forum Journal, vol. 32 no. 3, 2018, p. 61-69. Project MUSE.
In 2020, Filoli launched an annual haiku competition in collaboration with San Mateo County Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto to encourage an appreciation of nature and a love of poetry. Along with First and Second Prize, it includes a special category for poets below 18. On average, Filoli receives over 1,000 haiku submissions each year, and the top 10 poems chosen by Cassinetto are displayed as poetry installations in the Spring Garden in the month of May. In 2022, along with the Annual Haiku Competition, the Filoli Ecopoetry Award was launched to encourage submissions that highlight the relationship between humans and the environment.
Aileen Cassinetto 