Curtis Hansen from Opelika earns honors in international poetry contest

CONTRIBUTED BY
NANCY  JORGENSEN

The Sejong Cultural Society has announced winners for its inaugural International Sijo Competition. Earning honorable mention is Curtis Hansen from Opelika.

Sijo is a Korean poetry form similar to Japanese haiku. It is a three-line poem with 44 to 46 syllables that tells a story and incorporates a twist.

 In addition to workshops, online information and YouTube tutorials, The Sejong Cultural Society hosts sijo competitions. Referring to the 2021 International Sijo Competition, Director Lucy Park said, “We received over 200 sijo from 19 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. Poets ranged in age from 12 to 85 years.”

 All 2021 winners are listed below.

 Winner — Ngo Binh Anh Khoa (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Runner-up — Madelyn Esser (Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA)

Honorable Mention — Pierce Cunningham (Luveme, Minnesota, USA)

Honorable Mention — Ashley Ells (Hartland, Wisconsin, USA)

Honorable Mention — Curtis Hansen (Opelika, Alabama, USA)

Honorable Mention — Julianus Julius (Bukoba, Kagera, Tanzania)

Honorable Mention — SangHoon Jung (Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA)

Honorable Mention — Hyo Rhi Kim (Hwaseong Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Upcoming 2022 Writing Competitions from the Sejong Cultural Society

 The Sejong Cultural Society’s 2022 Sijo Competition is currently accepting submissions. This contest is for North American poets, writing English sijo, with one sijo entry per person. There are divisions for students and adults. 

 Prize money from $300 to $1,000 will be awarded. Deadline for entries is March 31, 2022.

 More information is available at www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/index.php

 An essay category is also offered, with prize money from $100 to $1,000.

There will be a second International Sijo Competition in the summer of 2022. More information will be available at www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/index.php

 To learn more about sijo, visit the Sejong YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/KoreanTheme.