Ikeda Sumiko (池田澄子 Ikeda Sumiko)

Born 1936 in Kamakura, Kaganaga Prefecture, Japan

Grew up in Nîgata Prefecture. Began composing haiku in her 40s. Studied haiku with Horî Kei and Mitsuhashi Toshio. Won the 36th Modern Haiku Association Award in 1989, and So Sakon Haiku Award in 2006. Became a Kadokawa Haiku Award judge. Her major haiku collections are, Sky Garden [Sora no niwa] (1998); Before I Knew I Was Born as a Human [Itsushika hito ni umarete] (1993); Gendai Haiku Collection Vol. 29: Ikeda Sumiko [Gendai haiku bunko 29: Ikeda Sumiko] (1995); The Sailing Ship [Yukufune] (2000); Story on a Soul [Tamashî no hanashi] (2005); Dear Sir in Reply [Haihuku] (2011).

Translations into English by Richard Gilbert & Ito Yuki (Gendaihaiku, 2014)