An Illawarra English teacher has come home to cheers from his students after winning the UK's largest award for unpublished writing.
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Peter Ramm, head of HSIE at Cedars Christian College in Farmborough Heights, won the coveted Manchester Poetry Competition for his poems penned during the pandemic.
"I've had lots of cheering, patting on the back, fist bumps, and one of my Year 11 students baked some celebration brownies," he said.
His contemporary poetry captures the essence of the South Coast environment, with Mr Ramm's winning centre piece poem 'Rainforest in Winter' set in the Robertson Rainforest, west of Kiama.
After being shortlisted for the award, Mr Ramm travelled to England with other entrants to attend a gala ceremony last Thursday, where he was announced as the 2021 winner.
Mr Ramm called the win a "surreal" moment and said the recognition from award-winning UK poets was "pretty special".
"I thought 'what an adventure to fly over to the other side of the world' - it was a chance of a lifetime," he said.
On the local stage, Mr Ramm has also won several awards, including the South Coast Writers Centre Poetry Award and the Harri Jones Memorial Award.
He said the South Coast has a rich local writers scene.
"There's a great community of writers on the south coast, and the [South Coast Writers] Festival program has a stellar line up," he said.
Mr Ramm writes mostly in free verse, but enjoys experimenting with form and longer line length, and drawing inspiration from the South Eastern NSW bush landscape.
"Most of my poems are set in nature - I've always loved being outdoors," he said.
"In the current world there's a lot we need to address with the way we look after our environment."
Judging chair of the Manchester Poetry Competition Malika Booker, an award-winning British poet, had high praise for Mr Ramm's work.
"We were impressed with the poet's ambitiousness and confidence, and seduced by the opening lines," Malika Booker said.
"Our winning poet's masterly controlled line breaks contrast sharply with the majestic woodland portrayed.
"We felt that this was contemporary poetry at its best."
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Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
