a finger in derek jarman’s mouth: Book Launch

To mark the 30th anniversary of his death, Polari Press is publishing a finger in derek jarman’s mouth in a special limited edition print. 

Simon Maddrell will be reading from the book supported by Paul Burston, a friend of Derek Jarman, reading from his memoir ‘We Can Be Heroes’. Poet JP Seabright will also be showing their short film BLU / R.

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 on the 19 February 1994, aged 52. 

“ The author, Simon Maddrell is a poet who knows Derek Jarman’s work both intimately and deeply, and in this new collection he has taken words from Derek’s diaries, images from the films and colours from that famously wild and stony Dungeness garden — and re-edited them into a loving, furious and gorgeously queer act of homage” 
- Neil Bartlett, author of ‘Address Book’ and ‘The Disappearance Boy’.

To guarantee a copy of the Limited Edition book, pre-order from Polari Press here: 

https://polari.press/shop/books/pamphlets/a-finger-in-derek-jarmans-mouth/

Simon Maddrell (he/him/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.

Paul Burston 

(he/him) is an author and curator & host of award-winning LGBTQ+ literary salon Polari and founder of the Polari Prize book awards.
In the nineties, Paul was Gay Editor at City Limits and Time Out London, and later the founding editor of Attitude magazine.
 

Before journalism, he was an AIDS activist with ACT UP London and worked for GALOP. Paul's memoir We Can Be Heroes : A Survivor’s Story is a tale of living through two pandemics, surviving two near-death experiences and battling his own demons.
“Probably the gay book of the year.” ES Magazine

JP Seabright 

(she/they) is a queer disabled writer living in London. They have four solo pamphlets published and two collaborations, encompassing poetry, prose and experimental work. They explore themes of gender, sexuality, trauma and the climate crisis in their work, and have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Forward Prize, as well as shortlisted (twice) for a Saboteur Award for Best Collaborative Work.
More info at https://jpseabright.com 

via Twitter @errormessage and @jpseabright everywhere else.