Face to face

John has published four collections of poetry, 'Recital - An Almanac' (SALT), 'The Prize' (Rialto), 'Poems From A Northern Soul' (Crocus), and a collection for children. He recently wrote a short play for Radio 3's Freethinking Festival, and co-authored a collection of short stories. As well as teaching for the Poetry School, he often works with the Arvon Foundation, British Council and the Poetry Society. John has been a visiting lecturer at Vienna and Manchester Metropolitan Universities, and was the British Council Writer in Residence at California State University, Los Angeles in 2009.

His passion for literature sees him drawing on the whole tradition of poetry and working in a range of places where you would not expect to find art such as prisons, schools, and hospitals. A passionate and provacative writer Siddique is well known for his captivating readings, and his ability to communicate with all types of audiences to open up the world of poetry and language.