Join us to celebrate the launch of a finger in derek jarman’s mouth by Simon Maddrell, with Jonathan Blake.
Jonathan will host a reading by Simon Maddrell from a finger in derek jarman’s mouth — poetry in memory of Derek Jarman, marking thirty years after his death from AIDS-related illness. Jonathan will also read early material from his forthcoming poetic memoir, written by Simon.
Followed by a discussion and Q&A with Simon and Jonathan.
a finger in derek jarman’s mouth is a poetic tribute to Jarman’s inspiring legacy spun from the multi-coloured threads of his extraordinary life — writer, artist, queer and AIDS activist, designer, filmmaker, and gardener. After his diagnosis, Jarman bought Prospect Cottage, facing Dungeness nuclear power station, where he created a beautiful garden in the harshest of environments.
Unashamed of his HIV status, Jarman died of AIDS-related illness in 1994, aged 52.
‘A loving, furious and gorgeously queer act of homage’
–– Neil Bartlett
‘Derek Jarman becomes a celestial mirror ball, radiating inspiration from the heart of this poem-shrine lovingly “filled with music”’
–– alice hiller
'Stands as a testament to Jarman's enduring legacy'
–– Peter Tatchell
‘One of the most radical figures in queer culture honoured by the most propulsive of queer poets’
–– Joelle Taylor
The first edition of the book is limited to 130 copies, available to pre-order online.
Order ASAP to guarantee your copy as we can't guarantee their availability at the event.
Simon Maddrell (he/they) is a queer Manx poet thriving with HIV in Brighton & Hove. They are published in twenty anthologies and over eighty publications including Acumen, AMBIT, Butcher’s Dog, Poetry Wales, Stand, The Gay & Lesbian Review, The Moth, The Rialto, Under the Radar. In 2020, Simon’s second pamphlet, Queerfella, jointly-won The Rialto Open Pamphlet Competition. In 2023, Isle of Sin (Polari Press) and The Whole Island (Valley Press) were Poetry Book Society Selections.
Jonathan Blake (he/him) was born in 1949 to a Jewish family in Birmingham, joining drama school in the historic year of 1967. After his HIV diagnosis in 1982 he retrained as a tailor & worked at ENO; In 1983 he met his partner of 38-years Nigel Young, who died February 2022, and they lived as members of LGBT+ Brixton Housing Co-op. Both members of Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners, Jonathan was played by Dominic West in the 2014 film, Pride, and is now an HIV/AIDS activist and actor.
All money raised from tickets will support the work of Positive East.
Please let us know before the event should you need to use the accessible parking.