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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.
Serious Intent - QueenSpark Poetry Anthology 2
Author(s): Shirley Beckett, Danny Birchall, Birdman, Ross Clifford, Ivor Colledge, Valerie Croft, Sonia Ctvrtecka, Phyllis Damonte, Debo, Philip Eley, Sophie Embury, Beryl Fenton, Gerald Fiebig, Steve Gilligan, John Greenwood, Clive Hackney, John Head, Nyk Irvin, Simon Jenner, Roger Lindsey, Julie Martin, Glyn Morrow, Helmuth Osbourne, Nick Osmond, Sam Royce, Pauline Suett, Nick Sweet, John Tatum, Tricia Turner-Savage, Arthur Thickett, Jan Walsh
Published: 1996
Serious Intent is the second book in the QueenSpark poetry anthology. It was intended to be a sequel to Poetry, our first collection of verse, but as it developed, it became evident that there was sufficient material of great depth and scope for it to be published in its own right. It is a collection in the QueenSpark tradition of publishing new, original and varied poetry by local writers from a wide variety of backgrounds and the topics will appeal to the young and the old, the humorous and the serious. It offers an informative and accessible read for an audience that encompasses all ages and interests.Alt-History - New Writing from Brighton
Author(s): Michael Acton, Emily Atkinson-Dalton, Ed Bell, John Bourne, Bryony Cleary, Joanne Dearden, Rachel Grant, Jane Hansford, Grace Judge, Andrew Kearsley, Barnaby O'Rorke, Neil Palmer, Rob Paraman, J T Sellers, Stephen Silverwood, Mark Wilkinson, Joe Young, Kjell Yri
Published: 2005
This diverse collection consists of fifteen stories by new writers, including five pieces of work by young authors under the age of twelve. The aim of the publication is to allow people the opportunity to write their own versions of ‘histories' of Brighton and Hove and the material includes fictional accounts of real places and events from Brighton and Hove's past, both distant and more recent. The tales include the humorous, the poignant and the surreal and provide a glimpse into an alternative world, highlighting the eccentric and heroic people from the Brighton area. It is hoped that they will be enjoyed by both a local and a wider audience.Daring Hearts - Lesbian and Gay Lives of 50's and 60's Brighton
Author(s): Peter Dennis, Beccie Mannall, Linda Pointings
Published: 1992
This is a collection of life stories of people who are members of the gay and lesbian community in the Brighton area. The book is based on taped interviews with forty lesbian and gay men who spoke openly about their lives in and around Brighton. In the fifties and sixties the town enjoyed a national reputation as a haven for gay people and it was viewed as a relatively tolerant place for people to visit and live. Lesbians and gay men came from all over Britain for holidays and to settle down. Brighton was considered a type of ‘Eldorado', a promised land, and this tradition remains today, where its thriving gay community is one of the largest in the country, outside London.Tales from the Sanctuary - An anthology of readings from a QueenSpark Performance Evening
Author(s): Shirley Beckett, Danny Birchall, John Cranfield, Sonia Ctvrtecka, Cyril Daugy, Julie Everton, Sue Long, Simon Jenner, Lorna Jones, Nick Osmond, Sam Royce, Tim Shelton-Jones, Nicola Schouten, John Sitzia, John Tatum, Arthur Thickett, Deb Thomas, Alistair Thomson
Published: 1995
This is an anthology of readings that were given at a QueenSpark performance evening. The recital took place at the Sanctuary cafe in Hove, which is a popular location for community events. For some people, this was the first time they had read aloud in public, although this was not reflected in their performances! The work, however, does reflect the diversity of QueenSpark members. It includes prose and poetry, humorous and sad contributions; some brief, others far longer. In short, there is enough material in this collection to suit every reader's taste - an impressive anthology, featuring a truly inspirational body of work.Rare book
A Working Man - A Century of Hove Memories
Author(s): Ernie Mason
Published: 1998
One winter in the 1980s, Ernie Mason was at a loose end, so he bought a notebook and began to write his autobiography. This story encapsulates a working-class man's journey through life over the course of the twentieth century, documenting the many changes that took place in the local environment and in social conditions. Born in 1906, Ernie lived all his life in Hove, except for a short period spent in the Navy during the war years. His childhood was spent in a neighbourhood that was full of market gardens, orchards and fields. Ernie recalls vivid memories of growing up, of his working life and finally of retirement after sixty years of work, having begun his working life at the tender age of eleven. The narrative not only provides a unique personal history, but also depicts a largely forgotten way of life in a bygone era.Life After Stroke - A book by stroke survivors who have learned to live again
Author(s): QueenSpark Stroke Writing Group
Published: 1993
This is an account of stroke survivors' triumphs over adversity, as they undertake the difficult and painful process of learning how to live again. The book examines the lasting effects of degenerative trauma and documents the transition from being able-bodied to becoming disabled. Writing is viewed as part of the process of rehabilitation, as the survivors share their experiences in a mutually beneficial and supportive way. Through descriptions of their day-to-day lives, they demonstrate resilience and offer other stroke survivors an insight that cannot be gained from professionals, however skilled and caring, proving that there is indeed a life after suffering a stroke.Bad Dog Wally
Author(s): Lynn Armstrong
Published: 1993
This is the story of a dog that was rescued from Battersea Dogs Home in London by a family. It is notable for its unusual style and use of language, in that it consists almost entirely of cartoons with only minimal use of the written word. Each page is based on an event in Wally"s life, and contains one sentence that is graphically illustrated in a child-like scrawl. The bright red cover adds another layer to the visual images contained within, and taken together, the book as a whole invokes a somewhat troubled response in the reader. At first glance, the cartoons appear naive and childlike, but a closer examination reveals the author's sense of black humour and satirical purpose. Apparently childlike, the book is interesting, because it can be read on several levels, and incorporates universal themes such as loss, betrayal and isolation.Oh! What a Lovely Pier
Author(s): Daphne Mitchell
Published: 1996
Working on the West Pier from 1956 to 1970, Daphne Mitchell's story evokes the atmosphere of the seaside in bygone times. Daphne recalls seaside shows that featured acts, such as the Great Omani, floating by on a bed of nails. She describes scenes with dolphins basking in the sea and aerial displays by the Red Arrows; all things that made the West Pier - the pier of piers.' During the season, it was so hectic that Daphne comments 'you didn't know whether to laugh or cry'. In this account, the life of the West Pier is vividly brought to life for the modern reader, who today can only view a ghostly wreck that echoes to the seabirds' sad songs. The subject is of particular relevance in view of the current debates that are taking place over the future of the West Pier.Poverty: Hardship but Happiness - Those were the days 1903-1917
Author(s): Albert Paul
Published: 1974(reprinted 1975)
This book is the first that was published by QueenSpark. It tells the story of a working class boy's life in the years between 1903 and 1917, from his childhood through to adolescence. It looks at the hardships of life before and during the First World War and examines the ways that children's lives changed as a result of the Great War. Albert Paul was a retired carpenter who lived all his life in Brighton, and he describes in vivid detail the life of a boy brought up in poverty and his struggle against adversity.The Smiling Bakers
Author(s): George Grout
Published: 1992
George Grout was a member of one of Brighton's best-known family bakers. He learnt the skills and craft of baking from his father and brothers at a young age, and can attest to hard times as well as recalling many happy memories of laughter and fun. George recalls the years when he lived and worked at the bottom of Coombe Road, and his bedroom was full of paper bags, there were horses in the stable and he had to get up very early in order to get to work on time. He reminisces about his ten brothers and sisters, his strong and gentle mother and the man who was his teacher, his boss and above all his father. In a nutshell he loved his work, stating that "being one of "The Smiling Bakers" kept me going. That was the name that we called ourselves.