SOUTHWARK, U.K. - s4story -- Filipino poet Ryan Caidic has been awarded the first-ever International Poetry Prize at the inaugural Bermondsey Literary Festival, a new celebration of literary excellence that ran from March 6 to 16, 2025, across the London Borough of Southwark.

The festival, which seeks to elevate both local voices and global literary talent, culminated in a public reading and awards ceremony held at Canada Water Library, one of Southwark's central cultural hubs. Caidic's winning poem, "Rules for Leaving," was selected from hundreds of submissions, standing out for its poignant meditation on loss, cultural ritual, and the structured ways grief is contained across traditions, expressed in lyrical form.

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The Bermondsey Literary Festival, in its inaugural year, aims to spotlight the creative vibrancy of Southwark and beyond, offering a platform for new and established voices to share their work in poetry.

Ryan Caidic is a widely published, prize-winning poet whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals. He is known for his explorations of diaspora and identity. His debut collection, 50 Ways Home, is forthcoming from Fernwood Press (US) in 2026.