Call for Poetry

media release: The annual Wisconsin Sijo Poetry Writing Competition, or WiSiJo (위시조) for short, is now accepting entries through April 30, 2026. With the generous support of the Sejong Cultural Society of Chicago, the UW-Madison Center for East Asian Studies is pleased to present the sixth iteration of the Wisconsin Sijo (WiSiJo) Poetry Competition.

Sijo is a traditional Korean poetic form that is both easy to learn and fun to write—think haiku, but with subtleties that are more easily translated into English. Our competition offers a variety of prizes at various levels and even some free books (while supplies last).

WiSiJo has garnered 1210 entries from all parts of Wisconsin during its first five years, and we are always looking to make this competition bigger and better!

Submission Guidelines

• One entry per contestant — a single sijo in English on a topic of your choice.
• Sijo must be written in English; if other languages are included, only the English portion will be judged.
• Titles are optional.
• Entries must be submitted online via the submission form; email entries will not be accepted.
• Contestants’ names or other identifying information should not appear in the poem itself, as entries are judged anonymously.
• Past Grand Prize winners of the Wisconsin Competition are not eligible to participate.
• By submitting, contestants grant the Wisconsin Sijo Competition organizers a non-exclusive license to publish the poem in print or online without compensation.
• There is no entry fee.

Divisions 

Divisions are based on age as of the competition deadline (April 30, 2026).

• Adult (age 19 and older)
• Senior (ages 14-18)
• Junior (age 13 and younger)

Eligibility

• Contestants must be legal residents of Wisconsin. Individuals temporarily residing out of state (e.g., college students or military personnel) are eligible.
• Contestants must enter the division appropriate for their age as of the competition deadline (April 30, 2026). Participants may not choose a higher age division.