Haiku Newton and our sponsor,
Newton Community Pride, are delighted to announce that 30 poets have been chosen as winners of this year's Haiku Newton contest. The winning poems have been affixed to lawn-style signs that will be displayed in various Newton venues from late April, in celebration of National Poetry Month, through July.
The 2025 signs have been installed at the Newton Free Library, which is partnering with Haiku Newton for the second year. The signs will move to a new location on June 10.
“We’ve never had so many submissions before—232 submissions by 132 poets,” says Grey Held, co-director of Haiku Newton, along with Elizabeth Lund and Greg Fulchino. “When we began this project four years ago, we wanted to bring poetry out of the book and into the public realm. Since then, we’ve heard such positive responses from residents who look forward every spring to encountering haiku along some of Newton’s busiest roads, near coffee shops, and in other public spaces.”
The 2025 winners include 3 Newton students, 14 Newton adults, and 13 other poets, including those from other Massachusetts cities, other states, and even other countries – one from India, one from Poland, and one from Italy.
“Newton Community Pride is thrilled to sponsor this exciting project to make poetry more publicly accessible in our community,” says Blair Lesser Sullivan, Executive Director of Newton Community Pride. “Haiku Newton gets bigger and better every year.”
A celebratory reading, featuring many of this year’s winners, will be held at the Druker Auditorium, Newton Free Library on June 9th. All are welcome at this event.
The 2025 winning poets are (in alphabetical order):
- Anna Baynton
- Kenneth Boger
- Christine Carvajal
- Binna Choi
- Sebastian Chrobak
- Marie Cloutier
- Claudia Doherty
- Julia and Hugh Dun Rappaport
- Margaret Geller
- Melinda Gordon
- Marilyn Halpern
- Andrea Hemment
- John Holgerson
- Lisa King
- Jim Krosschell
- Chad Knuth
- Linda Lindgren
- Kerry Loughman
- Richard Matta
- Mary Ann Mayer
- Ian McGeachie
- Robin Mayer Stein
- Maya Moghimi
- Mashi Morris
- Anne Nydam
- Vandana Parashar
- Rick Reibstein
- Carla Schwartz
- Claudia Springer
- Maria Tosti
Come back soon for more details and photos.