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The Poetry Of John Ashdown-Hill

A remarkable insight

Dr. John Ashdown-Hill is best known as an eminent historian, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the author of twelve history books and numerous historical research articles. His work for the Looking for Richard Project was instrumental in the rediscovery of Richard III’s burial place in 2012, for which he was awarded an MBE in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

In 2016 Dr. Ashdown-Hill was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease, and this collection of his lifelong and private poetry, was his final project. Through its gentle humour, its thoughtful and passionate exploration of classical themes and exotic travels, its poignant and sometimes pointed look at significant events closer to home, we gain a rare insight into the elusive soul behind the well known historian. All proceeds from the sale of The Poetry Of John Ashdown-Hill will be donated to John’s chosen charity.

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An introduction is always a difficult thing…


Why write poetry, why publish it? I could say something glib about birds or mountains, but that would be inaccurate at best, and cliched at worst. The reasons are complex and many. Let me just say to the first, we do because we must, and to the second, we do because we can. That is why, at their heart, with perhaps a thought to where our everyday experience and ordinary reveries entwine with eternals, like truth, like beauty, we, who choose this way, at our peril climb, and that is why, despite the savage heights, we sometimes soar.

Maximum Felix Media began as little more than a lark, a fairly innocuous pun on the Latin to use as my brand as I played with the possibilities of new digital media, creating digital books with sound and randomicity and text that moved on the page in new ways.

Of course as my work changed direction to more conventional formats, MFM became my default imprint for self-publishing. When the opportunity arose to help others in the online poetry community who also wanted to see their work in print, as, perhaps, both a nod towards eternity, and in the here-and-now a very tangible way of sharing their life, their thoughts, their love of words, their acts of creation, I was happy to offer my experience in bringing their books to fruition.

Which brings us to your present locale amongst the ever swirling pixels of our imaginary universe. And that is simply a convenient place to gather together for your convenience, my dear readers and poets, all of the works published by us so far in this old fashioned but most happy medium.