The Writers of Wales Database

MANSELL BROOME, SIMONE

01559 370517 / 07852 262778
Email: simone@simonemb.com
Websites: www.simonemb.com, www.ceridwencentre.co.uk

After spending her early childhood in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Simone lived in Berkshire, Brighton, London, Bath and Bristol before returning to live in Wales in December 2006. She graduated from Sussex University in English (with American Studies), qualified both as a teacher of Speech and Drama and EFL, taught at secondary and FE levels, as well as in private and language schools before spending nearly fifteen years in marketing/ PR. Her roles then involved much travel, organising her company’s participation in international trade competitions, awards ceremonies, conferences and exhibitions, writing articles and press releases for industry publications and judging a Trinity Group national business competition.

Since December 2004, Simone has rediscovered poetry: she now divides her time between writing/performing/leading workshops and co-running a small centre for workshops, holidays, courses & events in Carmarthenshire - Ceridwen Centre.

Simone hosts a Cardigan open mic poetry night - Word Up and is active in local writing groups. She is widely published in periodicals, including Envoi, iota, Roundyhouse, The Interpreter’s House and The Cannon’s Mouth. She is a member of Poetrypf, the Poetry Society, NAWE and Second Light, and is published and recorded online, (including on www.poetcasting.co.uk . She has read on Radio Wales, won the Denbigh Festival Slam in 2008 and was one of two representing Wales in the 2009 Radio 4 performace poetry competition. Current projects are a CD of her poems and a thinly disguised account of life in the hospitality industry in West Wales.

Reviews:
With respect to Cardiff Bay Lunch (Lapwing Publications, 2010)

"…Poetry that has the power to shock, amuse and enchant - most writers would be happy to be given just one accolade. Simone has all of them. A powerful reader of her work, the poetry will also stand up to scrutiny on the printed page. And you can't ask for more than that..."
Phil Carradice

"...these are lived-in, unblinkered poems of great insight, range and skill….. there's real energy here matched by a dark laugh-out loud humour and above all - they're readable..."
Phil Bowen


Selected Publications:
Not exactly getting anywhere but… (Ceridwen Press, 2008)
Juice of the Lemon (youwriteon.com, 2009)
Cardiff Bay Lunch (Lapwing Publications, 2010)

Contributed to:
Out of Love (contributor) (Leaf Books, 2006)
Razzamatazz and Other Poems (contributor) (Leaf Books, 2006)
Coffee and Chocolate (contributor) (Leaf Books, 2007)
Ukraine & Other Poems (contributor) (Leaf Books, 2007)
The Best of 2007 (contributor) (Winchester Writers’ Conference Anthology, 2008)
The Machineries of Love (contributor) (Ragged Raven Press, 2008)
The Ground Beneath Her Feet (contributor) (Cinnamon Press, 2008)
Buzz (contributor) (Templar Poetry, 2008)
NWC Anthology (contributor) (Norwich Writers’ Circle, 2009)
And Again Last Night (contributor) (Indigo Dreams, 2009)
Stripe (contributor) (Templar Poetry, 2009)
All the Way Home (contributor) (Leaf Books, 2009)
Voices of Women in Wales (contributor) (WWNC, 2010)