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QueenSpark Books Archive - Free Full Text Books
A unique searchable archive of the books published by QueenSpark Books up until 2010. Free to view and full text this collection features voices that tell the story of Brighton and Hove, across the 20th Century, in their own words. The majority of these titles are now out-of-print.
You can buy those still in-print, and newer titles, with this link.
Always a Layman
Author(s): John Langley
Published: 1976
This is the autobiography of John Langley, an active church-goer, who was born in 1905. It tells the moving and impassioned story of his life: incorporating his childhood, his journey to adulthood, his working life and association with the Workers' Union along with his commitment and affiliation to the Labour Party. It also describes the progression of his career as a railway carriage painter and is very readable, telling us about the good and bad times of Brighton family life. His reminiscences are as sharp and accurate as if they all took place yesterday, let alone one hundred years' ago. John started from humble beginnings, in an era when a job for life really did mean just that.Alt Future
Author(s): Josie Darling, Charli Gunn, Tony Spiers, Sharon Zink, Tim Lay, Michael Tait, Pat Bowen, S. Lewis Silverswood, Amy Riley, Robbie Smith
Published: 2006
A companion work to Alt-History, this book is the result of a competition held to encourage people of all ages to think creatively about the city's future. The entries were judged and edited before publication, and include a vision of text-messaging in 2045, a description of how "Zero Tolerance" might operate on the city's streets in the not-too-distant future, through to a sci-fi "DownsLand Experience"A Pen for all Seasons
Author(s): Ethel Akhurst, Marjory Batchelor, Sylvia Calvert, Stevie English, Valerie Goble, Dave Higgins, Susie Mehmed, Bob Miles
Published: 1997
Published in 1997, this interesting and diverse anthology is the outcome of work that was produced by members of the Hove Writers Club. It will appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds, who should enjoy this inspiring work, which reflects the creativity and freedom of expression that has emerged from the pens of its authors. Including poetry and prose, it focuses on the details of everyday life through the medium of creative writing. The enthusiasm and energy of the writers comes across vividly, and this should appeal to readers of all levels; from the academic to the pleasure seeker, as well as to audiences who are new to poetry.Backyard Brighton - Electronic version with new photographs
Author(s): Various
Published: 1988
Backyard Brighton, originally published in 1988, was a seminal book; produced in association with the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre. The collection of photographs and reminiscences was based on material gathered by Brighton Borough Council with the intention of creating a record of houses that were scheduled for demolition during the 1930s. This electronic edition contains a new selection of photographs.The Crowd Roars - Tales from the life of a professional stuntman
Author(s): Ron Cunningham (The Great Omani)
Published: 1998
In these reminiscences, Ron Cunningham, alias "the Great Omani", presents tales and adventures from the life of a professional stuntman. Ron's inspiration was the renowned escapologist, Houdini and in describing the exploits that he undertook as part of his unusual career, echoes of Houdini's famous tricks can be spotted. For example, Ron once had to travel from Hastings to Piccadilly in London encased in a concrete coffin, and another time, he jumped off the West Pier bound in chains. His stunts ranged from the bizarre to the spectacular and dangerous. Warning - not to be tried at home!Brighton Boy - A fifties childhood
Author(s): Andy Steer
Published: 1994
This autobiography takes as its subject matter the local areas and geography of post-war Brighton, seen through the eyes of Andy Steer. It includes descriptions of institutions in the city that were important to Andy such as Stanford Road School, the now defunct Brighton Cycle Club and the Shiverers Swimming Club at the King Alfred swimming pool in Hove! The book also brings alive those boyhood times when he and his friends played in Cherry Woods, near Withdean Stadium. Here they spent timeless hours on their endless games - lost in their own joyful, imaginary world. In short, Brighton Boy is a schoolboy's tale of Brighton in the fifties which is sure to bring back memories of forgotten times for many local people.Live today, learn tomorrow … Learn today, live tomorrow - Stories by Nicola Allen, Gillian Coe, Phil Dickens, Nick Osmond
Author(s): Nicola Allen, Gillian Coe, Phil Dickens, Nick Osmond
Published: 1994
There is a huge distance between those who find the written word easy and familiar and those who feel unable to write, finding the whole process threatening and difficult. These stories are the product of a project called 'Go Write Ahead' and are intended to demonstrate how this gap can be closed. The story 'The eyes can see clearly now' is about how it is possible to become a writer, by getting a pair of glasses and gaining a new vision. 'The call of the sea' is an account of one person's determination to survive a major life crisis and the central part played in that struggle by the process of learning to read and write with confidence. 'The interview' tells of a boy who leaves school and comes to the realisation that he is now responsible for making his own decisions. A different theme is covered in the story 'Figure of eight', which describes the damage that can be caused by being over-educated, to the point that the writer felt cut off from life by words.Everything Seems Smaller - A Brighton Boyhood between the Wars
Author(s): Sid Manville
Published: 1989
Sid Manville reminisces about his Brighton boyhood between the Wars. This first-person account of growing up in Bear Road, which was effectively his playground, describes scenes where he and his friends rolled their hoops and played with their spinning tops. Sid's interesting life story will appeal to his family, his contemporaries and the wider audience. It tells of many happy childhood memories, vividly recalling people and events of earlier days. In returning to the scenes of his childhood, we gain insight into a child's world viewed with the benefit of hindsight and seen through the lens of an adult perspective.Blighty Brighton - Photographs and memories of Brighton in the First World War
Author(s): Various
Published: 1991
Sadly out of print, this book (produced in collaboration with the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre), is all about memories of Brighton during the First World War. Through an examination of ephemera such as posters, photographs, pictures, songs and personal recollections, it portrays a collective memory of the city. Photographs are central to this work; for example Brighton Museum, Preston Manor and Brighton Reference Library are all featured pictorially. This book provides a valuable and important source of local history - a must for all those passionate about the city and its historical roots!From Circle to Spiral - A writers' handbook and anthology
Author(s): AB, Sarah Griffiths, Lorna Jones, Kate Mackrell, Jane Malone, Maria Ragusa, Pippa Scott
Published: 1995
From Circle to Spiral is about the enjoyment of the writing process and the personal satisfaction that can be gained from it. It reveals the insights that creative writing can bring and also provides a useful, practical guide to a method of working that may be helpful to budding writers. The reader is taken on an exciting journey of self-discovery, examining themes that are grouped in terms of paired dichotomies, such as "hedonism and abstinence", "excitement and serenity", "independence and intimacy" and "shame and pride". The product of a QueenSpark writing group consisting of seven women who spent two hours per week exchanging ideas and writing together in a mutually supportive environment, it can be viewed as a testament to the positive benefits that can be gained through the medium of creative writing.