Wrexham author Samantha Maxwell pops into the Guildhall to meet the Mayor…
A local author and disability campaigner recently met the Mayor of Wrexham to discuss her latest books and some of the challenges faced by disabled people.
Samantha Maxwell, who grew up and lives in Wrexham, penned her first book – CP Isn’t Me – during the Covid pandemic.
The book provides an insight into Sam’s experiences growing up with Cerebral Palsy, as she recounts her time in primary school, secondary school, college and university, before entering the world of work.
She followed that up earlier this year with her second book – Disabling Ableism – which explores discrimination against people with disability, offering some soul-searching questions for society and looking at how things can be changed for the better.
Sam, along with her mum Chris, recently popped into the Guildhall to meet the Mayor of Wrexham Councillor Beryl Blackmore, as well as Nicole Mitchell-Meredith who works with disability groups across the county borough as part of Wrexham Council’s project management team.
Sam says: “It was wonderful to meet the Mayor and Nicole, and it was great to have the opportunity to talk about my books and some of the challenges disabled people experience.
“I wrote my first book during the pandemic and it really helped me during a difficult time. There wasn’t much going on and I felt quite isolated, but writing about my experiences gave me something to focus on.
“I got the idea after my sister-in-law, who’s a teacher, asked me to write a book-review for her class. I really enjoyed it and thought ‘why can’t I write a book?’”
Although most of us wouldn’t know where to start, Sam proved she was a natural when it came to writing – finding a publisher and working hard morning, noon and night on her manuscript…
“It kept me busy, and I felt I had a really important message to share…that disability doesn’t define a person. There’s a person behind the disability and it’s important people see that person.
“Writing these books has been a fantastic experience, and I would like to thank my family – including my late nan Mary, my friends, my publisher Allan and my supporters – for their continued support and encouragement. Without them, none of this would be possible.”
Sam is also a huge fan of famous musical family The Jacksons, and was blown away when her pop idols endorsed CP Isn’t Me last year!
Changing attitudes
The Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Beryl Blackmore, says: “Sam is a wonderful young lady with a lovely supportive family, and it was a pleasure to invite her to the Guildhall.
“It’s really important that people who live with a disability share their experiences, as there are things we can all do to help change attitudes and make the world a fairer and better place.
“I think Sam’s books are wonderful and I wish her every success in the future – she’s a fantastic young person and a credit to Wrexham.”
Invisible barriers
In her books, Sam talks about the often-invisible barriers that people with disabilities have to deal with on a daily basis – making things like finding employment, travelling from A to B and socialising even more difficult.
“It’s hard to understand if you haven’t experienced it,” says Sam. “But I’ve been bullied, fired from jobs and just generally made to feel insignificant because I’m in a wheelchair.
“I have a degree in graphic design, I’m a freelance graphic designer in the motorsport industry, I own my own small part-time business designing and selling posters online, and I’m now an author campaigning for disability equality, acceptance and accessibility.
“But because I’m in a wheelchair, this is what society saw for years – a wheelchair, not the person. It’s so important to help people understand what it feels like, so we can all work together to help change things for the better. I hope my books can help do that.”
CP Isn’t Me, and Disabling Ableism are available from Amazon, Waterstones (including Waterstones in Wrexham), Wrexham Visitor Information Centre, Bellis Brothers’ Farm Shop and Garden Centre (Holt), Coleg Cambria, Wrexham University, Wrexham libraries, the Senedd in Cardiff and other outlets in Wales, Shropshire, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.
