‘For me literature has always been my country,
and the flag of my soul is the only one
I’m prepared to stand for.’
— John Siddique
‘Rebellious by nature, pure at heart'
The Times of India
'Bold as love’
Bina Shah - New York Times Correspondent
About John Siddique
John Siddique is a writer, photographer, and sacred teacher. He writes autofiction, essay, poetry, and fiction, and treats photography as central to his art and witness. He is the author of nine books, including Signposts of The Spiritual Journey, SO (Collected New Poems 2011–21), and the widely loved children’s collection Don’t Wear It on Your Head. His work has been featured in Time, The Tablet, Granta, The Guardian, Poetry Review, The Rialto, and on BBC Radio 3 and 4.
His meditation work reaches far beyond the page. He has created the online courses Self-Acceptance Through Authenticity and Magical Moments with over 36,000 students, and his meditations have been downloaded over four million times. The work, in every form, is an invitation into an ongoing adventure of presence, truth, and the ordinary human heart.
Praise for his poetry includes The Times of India, which calls him “Rebellious by nature, pure at heart”. Novelist and New York Times correspondent Bina Shah has described him as “One of the best poets of our generation”. The Spectator calls Siddique “A stellar British poet”. John holds an MA in Literature and Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University and is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Leicester. He is the former Canterbury Poet Laureate and was Poet in Residence at California State University, LA, for the British Council.
John is the Project Coordinator for the Royal Literary Fund and WritersMosaic in the North of England, where he leads literary events, commissions, and initiatives that redefine the mainstream in British literature. He is dedicated to strengthening the literary network in the region, supporting the RLF’s work and Fellows, and creating new opportunities and support systems for some of the UK’s most exceptional writers.
His work moves between the page, the camera, and the practice.
If you are interested in the sacred aspect of John’s work go here.
JOHN SIDDIQUE BOOKS
Non Fiction & AUTO FICTION
Audiobook
poetry
A New Role In UK Literature
John has been appointed Project Coordinator for The Royal Literary Fund and WritersMosaic in The North of England, where he leads literary events, commissions, and initiatives that redefine the mainstream in British literature. He is also dedicated to strengthening the network of RLF Fellows in the region, creating new opportunities and support systems for some of the UK’s most exceptional writers.
THE LATEST
A FLAG AS A BROKEN MIRROR
A vital new auto-fiction piece from John.
’Encountering men attempting to claim the Union and St George’s flags as signifiers of the far-right, John Siddique turns to a patron saint of his bookshelf, James Baldwin, for guidance’
John in THE AUTHOR
Exploring the unique world and difficulties of the author’s life which often can stray into isolation, loneliness, poverty, and mental health difficulties. I was invited to write a piece for The Society of Authors magazine offering a meditation and some reflection on looking after oneself as an author and creating a better environment for yourself.
Cypress
John’s beautiful and previously uncollected poem Cypress, which was written during the early part of his writings for his SO collection, will be published this autumn as part of ‘Palm Poems’ celebrating 20 years of Manchester Literature Festival and the works they have commissioned from such writers as Jackie Kay, Kei Miller, Roger Robinson and of course John.
Cypress would have been part of the Orpheus section of SO and interesting exists from the period where SO was planned as a novel.
My WRITING LIFE
John answers questions on reflects on aspects of his writing life over on the Royal Literary Fund’s Substack.