Open Call: Architectural Haiku Writing Contest, 4th Cycle: Architecture and Memories

Architectural Haiku Writing Contest, 4th Cycle is the twenty-eighth initiative of the Architectural Journalism & Criticism Organization, founded by architect Pappal Suneja to spread awareness about this subject and sow the seeds of inspiration to explore and write about Architecture and allied fields from a lyrical and explorer’s perspective.

Theme for the Series in this cycle is ‘Architecture and Memories’

Did you know that you can carry space with you?

Architecture is often understood as something permanent, fixed to a site and grounded in geography. Yet some of the most endearing spaces we recollect and relive are the ones carried within us as memories. A childhood home, a school corridor, a buzzing street, or a courtyard left behind through migration—these are spaces that continue to travel with us, transcending time and geography.

Intriguingly, memory is not restricted to spaces we have physically experienced. A room from a novel, a house from a film, a city imagined through a story, and many other spaces constructed through fiction can remain vividly etched in our minds. Beyond physical experience, these spaces quietly settle into our memories.

The Fourth Cycle of the Architectural Haiku Writing Contest calls for an exploration of Architecture and Memories. We invite participants to share with us, in just 17 syllables, the architecture that has settled in their memories.

Theme Curator for 4th and 5th Cycle: Preksha Udupa, AJC+ Associate (Rwanda, East Africa)

We welcome haiku entries from collegians, professionals, academicians, researchers, and design enthusiasts. The contest is open to all.

Submission Guidelines

• Submissions are open to all writers in English. International submissions are welcome.

• A maximum of three haiku entries per entrant are allowed.

• An illustration or photograph, either self-photographed, curated, or used with proper credits and permissions, must accompany the haiku.

• Each haiku should not exceed 17 syllables, following the 5–7–5 structure across three lines.

• The entry, along with the registration screenshot, should be sent to ajc.competition@gmail.com with the subject line: Architectural Haiku Writing Contest, 4th Cycle – Category.

• The haiku should be submitted in a Word document in 12 pt. Arial font with single-line spacing.

• The illustration or photograph should be submitted separately as an attachment, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

• All entrants must mention at least one social media handle with the submission, such as Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, or any other relevant platform.

• The submission should be an original work of the entrant and will go through a plagiarism and AI-bot test.

• The winners will be announced on AJC+ social media pages.

Note recommended syllable-checking tools: Participants may use online tools such as haikusyllablecounter.com and syllablecounter.net to check the 5–7–5 structure. However, automated syllable counts may vary, so participants are encouraged to manually review the final haiku before submission.

Jury Panel for the Competition comprises

• Sabu Francis, Architect and Researcher, India and founder of Limen Leap Labs Private Limited.

  
  

• Dr. Merle Kindred, author of Immersed in India: A Kerala Adventure in Architectural Activism and Gripped by Guyana: A Memoir of Purpose and Adventure.

  
  

• Kristiina Oelsner, Project Manager, International Short-Term Programmes, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany, and author of Minu (Ida-)Saksamaa. Mineviku ja tuleviku vahel.

  
  

• Pappal Suneja, Ph.D. Scholar, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany.

  
  

• Parichita Mohapatra, Architect and PhD Researcher, IIT Guwahati, and Assistant Professor II, Department of Design, School of Design, Media and Creative Arts, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, India.

  
  

• Sanan Verma, Architect-Planner, Assistant Professor, Poet, and Author of Book Kuch Meri Kitaab Se.

  
  

Timeline

Submission window for the cycle: 1 July 2026 – 30 October 2026

Registration

• Early Bird Registration till 16 August 2026 (800 INR for participants from India and 10 Euros for international participants)

  
  

Indian participants can follow the link to register, and international participants can enter here.

• Standard Registration till 29 October 2026 (1200 INR for participants from India and 15 Euros for international participants)

  
  

For queries, contact: plusajc@gmail.com

Winning Prizes for the Competition are

Citation Award: An AJC curated set of books worth 11000 INR / 120 USD.

Special Mention 1: An AJC curated set of books worth 9500 INR / 100 USD.

Special Mention 2: An AJC curated set of books worth 7500 INR / 80 USD.

Total Prize: Books worth 28000 INR / 300 USD.

Besides this, we shall send attested E-Certificates of Participation to all entrants, and the winning entries shall be featured on several web architectural portals. The best entries shall also be compiled as an anthology with ISBN No. after the successful run of all the cycles under this Series.

For further updates regarding the outreach activities and events, Visit the Instagram and Facebook handle of the Organisation.

Competition Poster by Team AJC+

(Background image created with OpenAI)

Via > ajc-plus.com