Waiting for You

Emerging on the international haiku scene in 2023, Cristian Matei has already received a number of awards, both internationally and in his native Romania - a country with more than three decades of established haiku tradition.

Rooted in that tradition while opening toward contemporary haiku sensibilities, this collection suggestively covers varied themes: beauty, love, hope, but also loneliness and war. It includes the poem awarded First Prize at the Mainichi Haiku Contest (26th and final edition, 2022-2023), alongside other carefully selected haiku.

The poems are presented in Romanian, English, and French, translated by Iulia Matei, accompanied by a foreword by Vasile Moldovan and an introduction by Valentin Nicolițov. Haiku and senryu are followed by a reflective afterword by Prof. Petre Constantinescu, which frames the collection within a broader literary context.

Late autumn
as I open the door
leaves alone enter

The linden in bloom
I stay yet another night
at Grandma's house

House for sale
the birdcage door
wide open

"A harmoniously crafted book, which entitles the author to be counted among the haijins worthy of consideration today."
- Vasile Moldovan