John Siddique

John Siddique FRSA (born 1964) is a British poet, spiritual teacher, essayist and author.
He is the founder of Authentic Living, through which he aims to help people from all walks of life awaken to what he calls their 'true naturalness.'

In the field of literature, he is the current Canterbury Laureate, and a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow. Siddique is the Honorary Fellow in Creative Writing at Leicester University. He is the former British Council Poet in Residence at California State University, Los Angeles.

File:Poet and author John Siddique.jpg

John Siddique Book Signing at California State University, Los Angeles

Personal life

The young Siddique immersed himself in the world of books through his local library. Before becoming a writer he drifted through various jobs such as being a roadie, a pipe-welder, and landscape gardener. He first began writing in 1991 after reading James Joyce's Ulysses and discovering the poetry of e.e. cummings, Walt Whitman, and D.H. Lawrence. He has stated in interviews that he regards his true countries of birth to be "literature and language".

In late 2014 Siddique became very ill with a ruptured abscess in his gallbladder, while in intensive care in an Indian Hospital, he was told that it was unlikely that he would make it through the next 24 hours because of the level of infection. He describes being so weak that he was unable to move in anyway, and that while moving into a deep meditative state, he felt an infinite love in a place beyond intimacy. He says that he distinctly heard a voice telling him to 'leave his old work and go and talk with people.' Within an hour of this he was able to get up out of bed, and on returning to the UK his work with Authentic Living began to unfold.

Published works

Poetry
Full Blood (Salt, 2011)
Recital – An Almanac (Salt, 2009)
Blackpool - A Poet’s View (Blackpool Council, 2009)
Poems from a Northern Soul (Crocus, 2007)
Transparency (editor) (Crocus, 2006)
The Prize (Rialto, 2005)

Short stories
Four Fathers (co-author) (Route, 2007)

For children
Don’t Wear It On Your Head (Salt, 2010)

Selected anthologies
New Writing 15 (Granta)
The Fire People (Payback/Canongate)
The HarperCollins Book of English Poetry (Harper Collins)
Masala (MacMillan)
Out of Bounds (Bloodaxe)
RED (Peepal Tree)
Life Lines – Poets for Oxfam CD

Prizes, awards and honours
Fellow Royal Society Arts
Hawthornden Fellowship
Royal Literary Fund Fellow – York St. John University 2013-15
Honorary Creative Writing Fellow at Leicester University
Arts Council of England Writer’s Awards 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011
Shortlisted for CPLE Poetry Award 2007
Nomination for Best First Collection - Forward Prize 2005
Nomination for Best Poem - Forward Prize 2004

Residencies
Canterbury Laureate 2016
Royal Literary Fund Fellow - York St. John 2013/15 & 2014/15
Manchester Literature Festival 2010
Los Angeles for The British Council 2009
Blackpool - Poet in Residence 2008
Manchester Art Gallery 2008
Fundacion Valparaiso 2006
The Rainer Charity, Wigan 2005
Commonword/BBC Manchester - Poet in Residence 2005
Ilkley Literature Festival - Poet in Residence 2004
HMYOI Wetherby - Writer in Residence 2000 – 03
Ledbury Poetry Festival - Writer in Residence for Young People 2000 – 03
The LOWRY - Poet in residence 2000 – 01
Prestwich NHS Trust - Poet in Residence 2000

External links

• Authentic Living Website
• John Siddique's Website
• Granta
• British Council Information Page
• Interview at The Argotist
• California State University Poet in Residence Page