'Private rebellion': Hong Kong's anglophone poets gain recognition abroad

Eric Yip, winner of the Britain's National Poetry Competition, posing for a portrait in central London. He beat more than 7,000 contenders from 100 countries and placed himself squarely among a cohort of Hong Kong poets writing in English that has found increasing recognition over the past decade. Photo: AFP

As a teenager stuck in Hong Kong's pressure-cooker school system, Eric Yip found his escape in writing poetry - never dreaming that one day his work would go on to win a top prize halfway across the world.

In March, at the age of 19, he became the youngest ever winner of Britain's National Poetry Competition.