Peter Skrzynecki | |
|---|---|
| Born | Peter Michael Skrzynecki 1945 (age 79–80) Germany |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Notable awards | 1972Grace Leven Prize for Poetry |
Peter Michael SkrzyneckiOAM (Polish pronunciation:[skʂɨˈɲɛtskʲi],Australian pronunciation:/ʃəˈnɛski/; born 6 April 1945) is an Australian poet of Polish and Ukrainian origin.[1]
Born in the German hamlet ofIhmert [de],[2] now part ofHemer, Skrzynecki came to Australia in 1949 with his parents, Feliks and Kornelia, as a refugee from "the sorrow / Of northern wars" ("Crossing the Red Sea"). This voyage – a four-week-long sea expedition on theUSS General R. M. Blatchford, a convertedUnited States Navy transport ship, was the basis for many of the poems in his 1975 collection,Immigrant Chronicle.
Skrzynecki attendedSt Patrick's College, Strathfield between 1956 and 1963, completing his Leaving Certificate at the college. His education here influenced many works later in his career.[1]
He holds aBachelor of Arts from theUniversity of New England, and a Teachers Certificate from theSydney Teachers' College and a Master of Arts from theUniversity of Sydney.[1] As of 2022, Skrzynecki is an adjunct associate professor atWestern Sydney University.[3]
Skrzynecki has taught various courses relating toliterature, including English Studies, American Literature, Australian Literature and Creative Writing. He has received several awards for his contributions toAustralian andmulticultural literature, including theGrace Leven Prize for Poetry in 1972 forHeadwaters, the Captain Cook Bicentenary Poetry Prize, theHenry Lawson Short Story Award, an Order of Cultural Merit from the Polish government in 1989 and in 2002, theMedal of the Order of Australia.[4] Skrzynecki visits schools and gives lectures on the current topic area ofImmigrant Chronicle.
Immigrant Chronicle is a collection of poems by Peter Skrzynecki,[5] remembering the experiences of his family as they immigrated from post-war Poland to Australia. The family, Peter Skrzynecki and his two parents, were in transit for over two years from 1949–51 (either physically travelling, or in a migrant hostel) before they were allowed to begin their new life in Australia. The book also expounds the ongoing hardships that Skrzynecki and his parents still suffer because of their journey to Australia.Immigrant Chronicle was one of the five prescribed "Physical Journeys" texts in the compulsoryNew South Wales HSC English syllabus, and was a prescribed poetry text for "Area of Study: Belonging" for 2009–14. This core text is the main focus of the unit, and it requires students to find their own related text(s) and compare the texts in the form of an essay.[6]
Among the 48 poems included inImmigrant Chronicle are:
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