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Mark Fiddes

@fiddes.bsky.social
1.3K followers 914 following 226 posts

Latest collection ‘Hotel Petroleum’ (Broken Sleep). Poet and creative director at large. Dubai, Barcelona, London and unmapped places in between. markfiddes.com

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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The spirit lives on, John!
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
fiddesmark.substack.com/p/keep-the-c...
fiddesmark.substack.com
“Keep the company of those who seek the truth - run from those who have found it.”
Notes from a poet-in-residence for Prague UNESCO City of Literature
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Reposted by Mark Fiddes
Victoria Spires @victoriaspires.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Catch up with my interview with @fiddes.bsky.social & much more in Dave's latest digest. Lots about performance and page poetry, poetry criticism, by the looks of it... looking forward to getting stuck in
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Reposted by Mark Fiddes
Victoria Spires @victoriaspires.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
📚 New: review of Hotel Petroleum+ interview with @fiddes.bsky.social victoriaspires.substack.com "Poetry can be the wake-up call not to outsource our curiosity and experience but to relish the lucidity of the present moment."
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
This morning I woke up in Kafka’s House, as a human.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Thank you for sending in shots of ‘Hotel Petroleum’ in its natural habitat. Dogs, Dante, Pianos, Robots. More please.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The poem started with a story from a friend whose brother lost his job and pretended to go to work for months until the family found out. Struggling for a poem title, I noticed the quote on a bank note. Only time I’ve thanked The Bank of England as it went on to win 2nd in the Bridport Prize.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
“The Division of Labour in Pin Manufacture (and the great increase in the quantity of work that results from it)” - based on the Adam Smith quote on the back of the old 20 pound notes.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Stumbled upon this wonderful trio yesterday evening in Lascuarre church, Aragon. Ad Lucem playing Victoria and Monteverdi led by countertenor and local boy Hugo Bolivar.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Also this time of year, particularly after drought stress.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Last month’s writing whereabouts…
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Cinderland Sometimes you wake in your jacked cityto the Earth grinding its teeth and you weepat how raw the dawn has become. Today the clocks go forward and so do we.Forest conflagrations that were visible from spacewill cease as will the burning of bears like witches. Atolls that opened their…
markfiddes.com
Cinderland
Sometimes you wake in your jacked cityto the Earth grinding its teeth and you weepat how raw the dawn has become. Today the clocks go forward and so do we.Forest conflagrations that were visible from spacewill cease as will the burning of bears like witches. Atolls that opened their petals and had coralsbleached for tourists in white linen…
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Wow. Beats Rossetti’s translation.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Yup. Dante. He currently lives with me.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
“Not a big fan of free verse, but I do make exceptions…”
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Revealing interview with Will Harris and a review of ‘Hotel Petroleum’ inside…
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Many thanks for the review of ‘Hotel Petroleum’ and a wonderful Series 6 of the podcast. Congratulations.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Paying respects to Gaudí on the centenary of his death in the place he was born, Reus. Also home to the world’s finest vermouths.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
It’s a Time Machine. Poblet too.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Great timing for summer reading. Big savings on breakthrough poetry titles - @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social
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Reposted by Mark Fiddes
Fiona Larkin @fionalarkin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
👀 - glad to add to my tbr pile new work from @fiddes.bsky.social & @jakeareynolds.bsky.social - and my own pamphlet Vital Capacity also still available from the excellent @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social !
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Snap, Fiona. I have Vital Capacity lined up for vacation.
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Paul Connolly @thepaulconnolly.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
So far this year from the brilliant @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social bookshop I have bought Mirko Boncaldo’s Subverses, @leiabutler.bsky.social’s Tear and Share @fiddes.bsky.social’s Hotel Petroleum and @tomsnarsky.bsky.social’s Mountebank. All heartily recommended
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Very happy to make the Connolly top picks.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The surrealist palette of Tarragona by night.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A tribute to the great man’s inspiration from newly published ‘Hotel Petroleum’…’This Extraordinary General Meeting is brought to you by Trojan Records’
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
The Penultimate Picture Palace? I saw Eraserhead there. Still disturbed by it.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Great to hear, Paul. Thank you.
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The Madrid Review @madridlitmag.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Today on our Substack: an interview with Mark Fiddes on the release of Hotel Petroleum. We talk about the new collection, growing up in England and life across the Middle East and Catalonia. open.substack.com/pub/themadri... @fiddes.bsky.social @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social #poetry
open.substack.com
Mark Fiddes: Inner Cities, Outer Worlds.
As his latest collection, 'Hotel Petroleum' is published by Broken Sleep Books, Mark Fiddes talks to James Hartley.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Thank you, Geraldine. All my best wishes.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Review of last night’s Hotel Petroleum launch @poetrysociety.org.uk
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Thank you, Mark, for the support you give to all of us.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Great fun launching Hotel Petroleum last night @poetrysociety.org.uk with wondrous readings from @victoriaspires.bsky.social and @betarish.bsky.social
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Will do, Mark.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Great to see you there, Mark. Thanks for coming.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Thanks, Paul. All credit to designer Hanin Hassan.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Last few FREE tickets for the Poetry Society launch of Hotel Petroleum tomorrow night…https://poetrysociety.org.uk/event/hotel-petroleum-book-launch/
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Wonderful morning and great open mic session. Thank you, Ver poets.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Yes, Joshua, aren’t we always migrating?
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Cheers, Tarn.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Thanks, Fiona.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
‘THE WILD PACIFIC OF ITS HEART’ i.m. the radiant David Hockney (first published in @thelondonmagazine.bsky.social now installed at ‘Hotel Petroleum’)
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Thank you, Adam. Means a lot.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Also included - interview on new collection ‘Hotel Petroleum’ launching later this month.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Hotel Petroleum. Check-in for pre-orders today.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Some seasonal adjustments It must be springtimebecause the fumigator in his operatic maskhas returned to the ornamental lake. He trails silver cloudsalong the shoreline to kill the tiger mosquitoswho come back hungrier every year. Out here, something happens in your blood.You lose your sense of…
markfiddes.com
Some seasonal adjustments
It must be springtimebecause the fumigator in his operatic maskhas returned to the ornamental lake. He trails silver cloudsalong the shoreline to kill the tiger mosquitoswho come back hungrier every year. Out here, something happens in your blood.You lose your sense of Winter and gratitudefor the carnal smell of ditches. From your slippery rock in the Atlantic…
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Memories of a wonderful evening at the National Poetry Competition Prizegiving in London.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Celebrating World Book Day with the cover reveal/pre-ordering of Hotel Petroleum. Check it out now. Check in June 30th. “Hotel rooms inhabit another moral universe.” Tom Stoppard www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
brokensleepbooks.com
Mark Fiddes - Hotel Petroleum | Broken Sleep Books
Hotel Petroleum is Mark Fiddes's fourth collection, structured as a journey in three movements, Arrival, Occupancy, and Departure, through a world of expat dislocation, geopolitical emergency, and the...
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Thanks, Damon. Hope the trip back to Brisbane was smooth.
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Mark Fiddes @fiddes.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Thank you, Ian. This time I missed the snacks.
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