Meet the Author-Samantha Maxwell. CP Isn't Me and other ventures

SaraC_Scope

Samantha Maxwell-Interview with Sara Edwards-Cerebral Palsy Specialist.

Samantha Maxwell from Wrexham is the author of CP Isn’t Me and Disabling Ableism. I caught up with Samantha to discuss the inspiration behind her writing, the impact of her books and what the future holds.

Samantha has a mild form of cerebral palsy. In her early years disability didn’t have a label. Samantha enjoyed school, had friends and the love and support of her family unit.

When she transitioned to high school things changed. It felt like her cerebral palsy was her identity. Samantha experienced discrimination and bullying during her high school years and these memories stayed with her for a long time. Samantha also experienced discrimination in the workplace.

There is a perception that disabled people are unable to be valued pupils or valued work colleagues and need to be wrapped in cotton wool. Whereas the reality is we are capable, with some reasonable adjustments.

Over time, increasing negative attitudes impacted Samantha’s mental health, and she experienced a mental health crisis.

As Samantha’s mental health deteriorated, her sister-in-law Ceri, a teacher, intervened. Ceri asked Samantha to write a book review for her class, in which the protagonist had cerebral palsy. This sparked Samantha’s interest, and she wrote a review discussing whether she identified with the character or not. Her writing received an amazing response from the school.

After this positive feedback, Samantha decided to write her own account of living with cerebral palsy. She wanted to cover all aspects of the condition. She noticed many books and publications focus on the negatives of cerebral palsy and she wanted to challenge this narrative. Her first book, CP Isn’t Me is part autobiographical and part factual. It doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of disability in the 21st century.

CP Isn’t Me, published in December 2022 is sold in stores nationwide. It can be found on the shelves of Cerebral Palsy Cymru and at the Senedd in Cardiff.

The response to her first book was overwhelmingly positive and it spurred Samantha onto her next writing project. Her second book, Disabling Ableism was published in April 2024.

What’s happening in 2025?

Samantha is working on her third book; Titled Silenced, Samantha takes a deeper look into disability’s relationship to mental health. The book launch event will be held at the Ty Pawb Performance Space in Wrexham on 27 September 2025.

Samantha will be busy promoting her work throughout this year. She’s speaking at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on 2 April 2025 and at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in July 2025.

There is another exciting project in the progress. Samantha is working with her publisher and a local acting company to create audiobook versions for CP Isn’t Me and Disabling Ableism,

The whole writing process has been cathartic for Samantha. She can reflect on her experiences and feels truly happy with her achievements and where she is today. Samantha recognises the need for self-care and recently joined a gym. These sessions are helping with her mental and physical health.

Samantha finished by saying, “I’m trying to be an ambassador for the disabled community”. After meeting Samantha, I believe she has already achieved that title.

Richard_Scope

Fantastic interview, @SaraC_Scope ☺️

noonebelieves

@SaraC_Scope , Many thanks for sharing!!Such a refreshing and inspiring interview. Best wishes to Samantha Maxwell and wishing her success with the publications of her new book and audio versions 👏👏👏