The former Armidale teacher has produced a new book of poems entitled ‘Six Nines’ (the name coming from the famous conclusion to the five book trilogy, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’).

Armidale publisher, Tony Bennett of Kardoorair, will launch the book at Narnia Bookshop in Tamworth on Saturday.

It is available in all Armidale book stores.

Armidale residents can meet the author at a book signing to be conducted at Angus & Robertson from 6 o’clock tomorrow evening.

Peter was in Armidale from 1977-1980 training at Armidale CAE and again from 1994-1990 as a teacher at Ben Venue.

A keen cricketer with Waratahs Cricket Club, he wrote a column for The Express under the pseudonym of ‘Slasher’ and had other community connections through programs on 2ARM-FM.

For the next 10 years he was principal at Wongwibinda and then Tambar Springs before his world collapsed with a major breakdown.

“I was in a bad way and it was 16 months before I knew what the problem was,” he said.

Encouraged by his wife Sue - ‘you’re the only one smart enough to work out what’s wrong with you’ - he set about surfing the internet and eventually self-diagnosed bipolar disorder.

With the right medication and excellent therapy, he managed to match his illness if not beat it.

Peter has been a writer since the age of eight and discovered poetry during his time at Teachers’ College.

“I observe things in the world around me and like to record them,” he said.

“It was therapeutic while I was recovering.”

He writes all his poems in long-hand in exercise books before transferring them to a computer.

Living in Tamworth for the past eight years, he has just resumed his association with cricket, becoming secretary of the City United Club.

Peter’s poems are personal and observational, coming under headings such as people, places, mum, wife, kids.

Former lecturer in English and Cultural Studies at UNE, Barry Richardson, said that, while authentically new voices in poetry are always rare, Peter produces inspiring innovation.