About
I’m Sammy J Matthews, a poet and writer based in Gwent, Wales, crafting work that explores the grotesque, the surreal, and the irreverent ironies of human suffering. My writing often exists in spaces where religiosity and abjection collide, driven by an unflinching focus on body horror, moral decay, and the absurdities of selfhood and reflection.
After studying film for a time at the University of South Wales, Newport, I shifted my creative focus to poetry, self-publishing three books: Strange Medicines Vol. 1 & 2 and Pica for Toy Zeppelins.
Living with autism and schizophrenia, I write from a fractured perspective, exploring themes of identity, madness, anguish, and recovery. For over a decade, I had an abusive relationship with benzos and opiates, a dependency that deepened after the death of my grandfather. With the help of my family and support network, I’ve built a new life, one rooted in connection rather than addiction.
Beyond writing, I collect human remains, peculiar antiques, and artifacts—tangible fragments of the uncanny that inspire my process. I’m also passionate about experimental electronic music, drawing, and photography, which reflect my fascination with abstract and expressionistic horror.
This site offers a window into my creative world—a space for those who find resonance in the strange and unsettling.