My name is Samantha Maxwell, a local Wrexham author of CP Isn’t Me and my newest release, Disabling Ableism.
I am reappearing at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, alongside my publisher, on Friday 5th July at 15:45pm to discuss my books, CP Isn’t Me and my newest release, Disabling Ableism on the Amphitheatre stage. I appeared last year to discuss my first book, CP Isn’t Me, alongside my publisher.
CP Isn’t Me was released in December 2022 and is part autobiographical, part factual and speaks about my own personal experiences of living with mild Cerebral Palsy and the discrimination that I have faced from people in society because of my disability.
The book has 5 stars on Amazon and has been endorsed by the likes of Lesley Griffiths, MS for Wrexham and The Jacksons.
CP Isn’t Me is currently available online on Amazon and Waterstones.com alongside Barnes and Noble in America. It is also currently available in store in Waterstones in Wrexham, Cerebral Palsy Cymru, Llanishen, Cardiff, Denbighshire Libraries, including Llangollen, and The Senedd in Cardiff, alongside many others establishments.
I initially started writing after my mental health deteriorated significantly in regards to negative perceptions of my disability.
My dad always said that I should start writing as a career, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I started to take it seriously. My sister-in-law, who is a secondary school English teacher, asked me to write a review of a book for her class, where the protagonist has a form of Cerebral Palsy, to get my opinion on whether it was an accurate portrayal or not. The response from that review was incredible to say the least and that is what gave me the encouragement to start writing.
I’ve been bullied, fired from jobs and just generally made to feel insignificant by society just because I’m in a wheelchair. I have a degree in graphic design, I’m a freelance graphic designer, small business owner, and author, but my disability is all society saw unfortunately for years.
My newest release, Disabling Ableism was officially released on 20th April 2024 with a book launch event with 60-70 guests in attendance.
Disabling Ableism is a generalised view of disability through the eyes of society, with kind contributions from Lesley Griffiths, Member of the Senedd for Wrexham and Kerry Evans, Disability Liaison Officer at Wrexham AFC, alongside many others.
The cover artwork for Disabling Ableism was kindly created by my dad, Martin Maxwell, who followed my own initial concept design. The steps represent the discrimination that we face daily from society, a physical barrier to represent and indicate the invisible barriers. I will go into why the book is called Disabling Ableism at the event.
The cover art of CP Isn’t Me is of myself and my mum. I wanted to show that despite the label, I’m the same as everyone else in society. I’m more than my Cerebral Palsy, I’m human, as the title indicates.
Disabling Ableism is currently available online on Amazon and is available in store in Waterstones in Wrexham, The Senedd in Cardiff, Cerebral Palsy Cymru, Llanishen, Cardiff, Denbighshire Libraries including Llangollen, alongside many others across Wales and England.
Disability is insignificant when compared to the person behind the disability. That label only puts a barrier in between society. It’s time to break that barrier for good.
Thank you so much to my family, friends, publisher Allan my supporters, and of course, my late nan, Mary for their continued encouragement. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I really do appreciate it.
I am really looking forward to reappearing this year, and I personally want to thank Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for giving me this incredible opportunity and platform to speak about the importance and need for disability equality and inclusion.
