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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.Poetry - QueenSpark Poetry Anthology 1
Author(s): Joe Benjamin, Danny Birchall, Jackie Blackwell, Carol Brown, Thomas Clark, Beryl Fenton, Louise Hume, Geven Wayne Jones, Elaine Kingett, Fay Layton, Simon Mumford, Nick Osmond, Sam Royce, Tim Shelton-Jones, John Tatum
Published: 1994
However people personally define poetry, this anthology contains something for everyone. The poets all hail from the Brighton area and they reflect a wide range of ages and backgrounds. The poems can read by those who are looking for a pleasant read, by the poetry connoisseur or the serious academic. They include many different themes, ranging from the light-hearted to the serious and fantastical. Their only common feature is their accessibility to the general audience, the high quality of the verse and their readability. This is poetry that reflects ordinary people's experiences with insight and humour and should appeal to all age groups.Brighton on the Rocks - Monetarism and the Local State
Author(s): QueenSpark Rates Book Group
Published: 1983
Published in 1983, this book was intended to be the first of a new series, but is the only one that was eventually commissioned. It incorporates a collection of interviews, photographs and statistics, which are used to analyse how monetarism affected the economic policies that were pursued by the city's local authorities in the 1980s. When local councils imposed financial cuts from 1980 onwards, they argued that the cuts were necessary because of overspending. This text takes the view that monetarist policies are implicated in the decline in public services and critically evaluates the effects of monetarism on working people's lives, organisations and throughout the welfare state. It poses the question as to whether a different kind of economics was needed that was geared to need rather than to monetarist philosophy?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.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!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.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.Stories from the Nights at the Round Table
Author(s): Dawn Bartram, Margaret Bearfield, Marion Devoy, Gill Donocick, Peggy Eaton, Julie Everton, Sarah Griffiths, Clare Halstead, Ruth Lonsdale, Eve Peel, Sheila Smith, Pauline Streeton, Margaret Ward
Published: 1998
This is an anthology taken from work that was produced by the Hangleton and Brighton Women Writers' groups. The Hangleton group started meeting in July 1988 as part of the Hangleton and Knoll Community Festival. The aim of the programme was to introduce new writers and audiences to the notion of creative writing, using a variety of methods, to explore the central concerns and themes that impact on women's lives and to draw on their life experiences. For many women, it was the first time that they were able to see their work in print, and this was a positive and uplifting experience for them.Little Ethel Smith - Her story told by herself
Author(s): Ethel Howell
Published: 1992
This autobiography was published in 1992 and it tells the poignant tale of a young working class woman who grew up in the Old Kent Road in London and came to live with her family in the Sussex countryside, when still a young girl. An important feature of the book is the value placed on family loyalty. It tells the story of Ethel's life during the war years, her courtship and marriage and the sad tale of her first love, a doomed romance that was unable to overcome the class barriers that were prevalent at that time. It is a description of one woman's journey through an often impoverished life – describing the transition from girlhood to womanhood. Ethel finally came a long way from her humble beginnings in the Old Kent Road and this publication is testament to her resourcefulness and hard work.Backstage Brighton - Theatre Going in Brighton & Hove
Author(s):
Published: 2010
In 1900 Brighton had more theatres than anywhere in the UK outside London. Backstage Brighton from QueenSpark Books celebrates theatre and theatre-going in the city, past and present. If you ever wondered what once stood on the site of the Brighton Centre or why the Sallis Benney Theatre is so-called, alongside first person memories of venues from those who were there, then you’ll be enthralled by the book’s fascinating journey through the history and heritage of Brighton & Hove’s many theatrical venues. ‘The Grand was cheaper and more working class than the Theatre Royal. You could get a seat and entertainment for about a shilling. There were about 300 seats, and there were some real characters playing there, like Max Miller. The most expensive seat was one and six, but up in the gallery used to be nine pence. All the yobs used to go up there because it was so cheap. They used to throw sweet wrappers and everything down on people.’ Bill Richards (Local resident) Lavishly illustrated throughout with colour and black-and-white historic photographs, this 76-page A4 paperback book is the companion-piece to Back Row Brighton: Cinema-Going in Brighton & Hove.