Thank you to all who submitted their work to the WiK Sixth Annual Kyoto Writing Competition by the deadline of March 31st. This unprecedented time of lockdowns and social distancing has provided ample time for contemplation and creativity, as well as a distinct longing for the ancient capital amongst those who are currently unable to enter Japan. We are delighted to have received a very large number of international and domestic entries. The judges now have the difficult task of determining this year’s prizewinners. The results will be posted on the Writers in Kyoto website in mid-May, and a link to those results will be posted in the public WiK Facebook group.

Also, it should be noted that we experienced a slight glitch in the system this year. While some were able to send their submissions directly to this year’s competition email address, for some reason others were directed to last year’s e-mail address. Please rest assured, however, that all writings received at both addresses have been compiled and duly submitted to the judges for consideration. We deeply apologize for the confusion, and wish the best of luck to all participants.

Karen Lee Tawarayama, WiK Competition Organiser