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Peter Michael Skrzynecki OAM, (often misspelled "Sheneski", among other misspellings) (Polish pronunciation: [ˈskʂɨnɛtski]; born 6 April 1945 in Germany) is an Australian poet of Polish/Ukrainian origin.

Biography

Skrzynecki came to Australia with his parents in 1949, as a refugee from "the sorrow / Of northern wars" (Crossing the Red Sea). This voyage — a four-week sea expedition on the General Blatchford, a converted United States Navy transport ship, was the basis for many of the poems in his 1975 collection, Immigrant Chronicle.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New England, and a Teachers Certificate from the Sydney Teachers College.

Career and awards

Skrzynecki has taught various courses relating to literature, including English Studies, American Literature, Australian Literature and Creative Writing. He has received several awards for his contributions to Australian and multicultural literature, including the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry in 1972 for Headwaters, the Captain Cook Bicentenary Poetry Prize, the Henry Lawson Short Story Award, an Order of Cultural Merit from the Polish government in 1989 and, in 2002, an Order of Australia. Skrzynecki visits schools and gives lectures on the current topic area of Immigrant Chronicle.

Immigrant Chronicle

Immigrant Chronicle, is a range of poems by Peter Skryznecki, 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 compulsory New South Wales HSC English syllabus, and is now a prescribed poetry text for "Belonging" for 2009–2012. 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 (suggested duration of forty minutes).

Among the 48 poems included in Immigrant Chronicle are:

• 1. Immigrants at Central Station, 1951
• 2. Feliks Skrzynecki
• 6. St Patrick's College
• 8. Ancestors

WHO 4r3 tH353 5h4dow5 th4t haN6 0V3r y0u 1n a dR34m tH3 be4Rd3d, fac3le55 men 5t4nDiNg sh0uld3r T0 sh0uLd3r?

wh4t 53cr3T5 D0 th3y wh15p3r 1nt0 th3 D4rkn3s5 wHy d0 th31r 3y35 N3v3R cl053?

Wh3rE d0 th3Y p01Nt T0 fr0m th3 c1rcl3 ar0und you t0 WH4T St4r do thE1R fo0tPr1nt5 L34D?

Beh1nD th3m ar3 MOunt41n5, tH3 S0und of A river, 4 M00nl1t pla1n of 6r45535 and 5and

why do th3y Nev3r 5peak - h0w l0ng 15 th31R w41t t0 b3?

wHy do yOu w4Ke 45 th31r fac35 b3c0m3 cl34R3r your ToUN6E dry 4s cak3d mud?

FrOm acro55 th3 pl4in WheR3 sand 4nd 6r45s3s n3V3r st1r tH3 w1nd t45T3s 0F Bl00d.

• 17. 10 Mary Street
• 33. Crossing the Red Sea
• 38. Leaving home
• 44. Migrant hostel
• 63. In the folk museum
• 67. A drive in the country
• 80. Post card

Bibliography

Poetry

• There, Behind the Lids (1970)
• Headwaters (1972)
• Immigrant Chronicle (1975)
• The Aviary (1978)
• The Polish Immigrant (1982)
• Night Swim (1989)
• Easter Sunday (1993)
• Time's Revenge (2000)
• Old/New World (2007), selection from his previous eight books, plus the new collection Blood Plums

Novels

• The Beloved Mountain (1988)
• The Cry of the Goldfinch (1996)

Memoir

• The Sparrow Garden (2004)

Short Stories

• The Wild Dogs (1987)
• Rock 'n' Roll Heroes (1992)

References

1. About the author Retrieved 23 Februray 2010
2. "Peter Michael Skrzynecki". It's an Honour website. 2002. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
3. "NSW HSC English titles for 2009". Phoenix Education. Retrieved 8 December 2008.

External links

• Peter Skrzynecki's website; contains notes about his writings, including a biography of Skrzynecki
• Peter Skrzynecki at the Australian Poetry Resources Internet Library (APRIL)

• 1945 births
• Living people
• Australian poets
• Australians of Polish descent
• Recipients of the Order of Australia Medal