A Portrait of John Siddique
John Siddique is the bestselling author of Full Blood, Recital – An Almanac, Poems From A Northern Soul, and The Prize. He is the co-author of the story/memoir Four Fathers.
He has contributed poems, stories, essays and articles to many publications, including Granta, The Guardian, Poetry Review, and The Rialto.
The Prize, published to wide acclaim in 2005, was nominated for the Forward Prize. His children’s book Don’t Wear It On Your Head was shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award in 2007.
Full Blood is described as ‘Bold as love… Each word is to be savoured like a sip of forbidden wine’ by Bina Shah, while Recital has been called ‘One of the most important British poetry books of the last twenty years’ by Lauri Ramey of CSULA. Jackie Kay speaks of Siddique’s writing as being ‘A brilliant balancing act.
Siddique is well known for his captivating readings and his infectious love of literature. He teaches poetry and creative writing in the UK and Abroad. He is The former British Council Writer-in-Residence at California State University, Los Angeles.
The Prize by John Siddique is available here
QUOTES:
John Siddique’s writing brims with verve, depth and pathos – The Big Issue
John Siddique’s writing is playful and poignant. It explores the complexities of a fragmented world – of sex, family, loss and dream-life – with such clear-eyed, unsentimental candour that I go back to certain poems time and again for another immersion. He’s not afraid of writing about love, its pain and rewards, its sudden, shocking forces and darkly funny epiphanies – and his poems demonstrate a generosity and humanity so often lacking in more brittle, defensive writers. – Catherine Smith (Next Generation Poet)
John Siddique’s poetry takes the reader on a journey, crossing the border country between love and loss. Interested in exploring opposite worlds and seeming contradictions, his poetry is a brilliant balancing act. – Jackie Kay
The poems in Recital form a literary chronograph for survival, echoing life’s ticking clock while inviting us to stop and observe the moments before they pass. In this irreplaceable collection, he creates a time-line for evaporating memories, observations and sensations, and reveals life’s potential to be a hidden gallery.
Professor L. Ramey – Center for Contemporary Poetry & Poetics California State University, Los Angeles
His knowledge and love of poetry shines through. – Rachel Feldberg – Ilkley Literature Festival
John Siddique is a powerful, arresting and provocative new poetic voice, on the page, and off it. He writes with a rare combination of directness, ease, and authority and transports his audience through a gallery of moods and registers in just as wide a range of forms. His work is visceral, sensuous, searing, playful, and deeply moving.
Gavin Wallace – Head of Literature – Scottish Arts Council
John Siddique is one of Britain’s most interesting and original poets. He probes the contradictory jumble of contemporary Britain revealing daily heroism and bravery of the urban sprawl that he clearly knows well. – Professor E.R. Horan – Arizona State University
