Originating from Japan, haiku is the shortest form of poetry in the world. In a short descriptive verse with a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern, it captures a moment in the poet's life, or simply expresses the beauty of nature.

For the chance to win a Canon digital camera and to impress the judges with their haiku mastery, Queenswood pupils aged 15 and under can enter the Japan Airlines 17th World Children's Haiku Contest. The theme for this year's competition is 'towns' and students are encouraged to look at the places around them for inspiration. The haiku should be accompanied by a hand-drawn or hand-crafted artwork on the same page, using A4 paper.

To find out more about the competition and to print the application form, please click here. The final date for entries to be received by post at the Japan Society in London is Sunday 28 February 2022. For some helpful haiku tips, you can watch the video below.