"Simon Maddrell was an excellent teacher, guiding us through intense and revealing exercises that showed us how to use our memories to inform our writing. I found the session hugely beneficial, and will most definitely be using the techniques I learned in my own writing practice."
MK Lit Fest participant.
This workshop enables participants to uncover memories and identify ones that they'd like to explore further. We'll examine a memory from different perspectives and explore word associations to create the raw materials for developing our own story and elevating narratives to the next level. To help identify the best approach for our specific memory, we'll read poems that use the different approaches, or even take the memory to new places.
The workshop will take place on Zoom on the 10th June 7pm to 9pm
The Writing School Online
Prices £25/£20/£10
Link in Bio
Latest Reviews of lamping wild rabbits
The Guardian Feb 6th 2026
The best recent poetry – review roundup
Oluwaseun Olayiwola
Lamping Wild Rabbits by Simon Maddrell (Out-Spoken Press, £11.99)
Loss and candour categorise Maddrell’s debut collection. The speakers feverishly recall desires often accompanied by the contrapositive of shame: “how their smooth twigs age and develop warts / there I go again talking about shame”. While the subjects include memory, life with HIV and the transformation of innocence, the language is steeped in a poetics of interpenetration, observed with a rich descriptive eye: “Polaroids of people gone, re-faced for posterity, / white-powdered cheeks, dust marks death on my pants.” The prize of age is wisdom – “the captive live longer than the wild” – and moments here silence the reader to introspection.
Oluwaseun Olayiwola
The best recent poetry – review roundup, The Guardian, Feb 6th 2026.
Lamping Wild Rabbits, Out-Spoken Press, Feb 2026
In mercurial forms and language sharp as grass blades, Simon Maddrell’s poems cross traumatic terrain we leave obscured at our peril. Beating desire lines through history, myth, politics, religion, burrowing deep into labyrinthine experiences of a queer Manx childhood, loss, stigma, shame and taboo pleasures (that rocket ice lolly!) - Simon’s luminous rabbits emerge and reemerge thumping, nostrils quivering in winds of change, and ready to bound into spring.
Naomi Foyle
Delighted to read tributes to Dursley McLinden, Derek Jarman — and celebrating being alive with Jonathan Blake at the
‘International AIDS Candlelight Memorial’
at Positive East.
Picture is in their lovely garden.
An initiative by Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) every third Sunday of May since 1983.
#AIDSCandlelightMemorial
#lampingwildrabbits #derekjarman #AIDS
Turned Upside Down by Simon Maddrell
Read by Robert Hamberger at the Brighton Launch for Simon Maddrell’s debut poetry collection, lamping wild rabbits, from Out-Spoken Press.
The best recent poetry – review roundup
Oluwaseun Olayiwola
Lamping Wild Rabbits by Simon Maddrell (Out-Spoken Press, £11.99)
Loss and candour categorise Maddrell’s debut collection. The speakers feverishly recall desires often accompanied by the contrapositive of shame: “how their smooth twigs age and develop warts / there I go again talking about shame”. While the subjects include memory, life with HIV and the transformation of innocence, the language is steeped in a poetics of interpenetration, observed with a rich descriptive eye: “Polaroids of people gone, re-faced for posterity, / white-powdered cheeks, dust marks death on my pants.” The prize of age is wisdom – “the captive live longer than the wild” – and moments here silence the reader to introspection.
Book purchase Out-Spoken: /shop/rabbits
Signed Copies from: /product/lamping-wild-rabbits
@simonmaddrell Instagram / Facebook / Bluesky / Threads YouTube / SoundCloud / LinkedIn Website:
When we were talking to Simon about arranging his Mining our Memories workshop he was really keen for the workshop to be affordable. There are concessions for low waged (£20) and for un-waged (£10). Just selected the option at checkout if you need a little help accessing the workshop. We really want to see them used 😊
Forest Fire by Simon Maddrell
Read by Robert Hamberger @hambergerrobert during the Brighton Launch for Simon Maddrell’s debut poetry collection, lamping wild rabbits, from Out-Spoken Press.
The best recent poetry – review roundup
Oluwaseun Olayiwola
Lamping Wild Rabbits by Simon Maddrell (Out-Spoken Press, £11.99)
Loss and candour categorise Maddrell’s debut collection. The speakers feverishly recall desires often accompanied by the contrapositive of shame: “how their smooth twigs age and develop warts / there I go again talking about shame”. While the subjects include memory, life with HIV and the transformation of innocence, the language is steeped in a poetics of interpenetration, observed with a rich descriptive eye: “Polaroids of people gone, re-faced for posterity, / white-powdered cheeks, dust marks death on my pants.” The prize of age is wisdom – “the captive live longer than the wild” – and moments here silence the reader to introspection.
Book purchase Out-Spoken: /shop/rabbits
Signed Copies from: /product/lamping-wild-rabbits
@simonmaddrell Instagram / Facebook / Bluesky / Threads YouTube / SoundCloud / LinkedIn Website:
Mining Our Memories Workshop
I am running an online generative writing workshop, and it would be great to have you along.
The Writing School Online
Weds. 10th June
7pm to 9pm
Equally suitable for poetry, short stories, flash fiction, prose, and writers at all levels..
We will uncover memories and examine them from different perspectives to create the raw materials for developing their own stories and elevating narratives to the next level. We’ll also read poems that use different approaches, or take memories to new places.
“Simon Maddrell was an excellent teacher, guiding us through intense and revealing exercises that showed us how to use our memories to inform our writing. I found the session hugely beneficial, and will most definitely be using the techniques I learned in my own writing practice.”
MK Lit Fest participant.
Prices £25/£20/£10
Booking link in bio
Dear Humanity by Simon Maddrell
Read by @hambergerrobert during the Brighton Launch for Simon Maddrell’s debut poetry collection, lamping wild rabbits, from Out-Spoken Press.
The best recent poetry – review roundup
Oluwaseun Olayiwola
Lamping Wild Rabbits by Simon Maddrell (Out-Spoken Press, £11.99)�
Loss and candour categorise Maddrell’s debut collection. The speakers feverishly recall desires often accompanied by the contrapositive of shame: “how their smooth twigs age and develop warts / there I go again talking about shame”. While the subjects include memory, life with HIV and the transformation of innocence, the language is steeped in a poetics of interpenetration, observed with a rich descriptive eye: “Polaroids of people gone, re-faced for posterity, / white-powdered cheeks, dust marks death on my pants.” The prize of age is wisdom – “the captive live longer than the wild” – and moments here silence the reader to introspection.
Book purchase Out-Spoken: /shop/rabbits
Signed Copies from:�/product/lamping-wild-rabbits
@simonmaddrell �Instagram / Facebook / Bluesky / Threads�YouTube / SoundCloud / LinkedIn��Website:
