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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.
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.Missing the Nile - Experiences of Sudanese people in Brighton
Author(s): Sudanese people in Brighton
Published: 2005
Published in January 2005, this fascinating book examines the customs and culture of the Sudanese community in the Brighton and Hove area. The British and Sudanese cultures are very different to one another and the narrative includes comparisons of the two cultures, as well as giving first-hand descriptions of festivals, celebrations including weddings and funerals, and food. The text is written in both English and Arabic, making it accessible to the widest possible audience and will be especially enjoyed by the second generation of the Sudanese community, living in the Brighton and Hove area. It also fulfils the function of recording a culture's history for future generations.Brighton behind the Front - Photographs and memories of the Second World War
Author(s): Various
Published: 1991(reprinted Oct-08)
First published in 1990, Brighton behind the Front was originally produced in collaboration with the now defunct Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre, in the same series as Backyard Brighton and Back Street Brighton. It brings together a collection of Brighton wartime reminiscences and documents how ordinary people were affected by the war. This was a challenging time in British history, giving rise to moving accounts of individual lives set against a society undergoing profound changes. Using personal recollections, contemporary photographs, letters, a logbook and diaries, Brighton behind the Front vividly portrays what it was like to live in this south coast town during the Second World War.Teatime Tales - The Pavilion Gardens Cafe Interviews
Author(s): Harry Hillery, Glenn Stevens, Robin Tulley, Libdsey Tydeman, Peter Oakes, Maxine Badger, Cara Redlich, Iain Cameron Williams, Cecelia Rose, Dorian Vaughan, Karen McMillan, Rob Cohen, Roslyn Cook, Kahn Priestly and Jessica Wallace
Published: 2011
The Pavilion Gardens Cafe, like the Royal Pavilion across the Gardens, is a unique Brighton institution. Throughout the last seventy years, it has offered refreshment, relaxation and a certain kind of charm to tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. The Café also attracts a fascinating clientele of local people, and it is some of their 'Teatime Tales' that are featured here for the very first time.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"The Other Side of the Counter - The Life of a Shop Girl 1925-1945
Author(s): Marjorie Gardiner
Published: 1985
This autobiography looks at the working life of milliner, Marjorie Gardiner, from 1925 to 1945, including an account of her working life during the Second World War. Marjorie's story is told in a lively and evocative manner, and describes her experiences as a shop assistant working in a Brighton hat shop, where she met all manner of elite customers. Those were the days when women were particularly fashion-conscious and there was a huge variety of different types of hat styles available. This first-hand account provides a fascinating insight into shop life during the first part of the twentieth century.Just one of a Large Family - Pre-war memories of the Tenantry Down neighbourhood
Author(s): Don Carter
Published: 1992
This book is a personal account of living in the Tenantry Down neighbourhood of Brighton in the pre-war years. Don Carter, the author, describes his childhood in the Hartington Road area of Brighton, where nearly all the roads are named after places in the Isle of Wight. Don can claim to be a true Brightonian, having been born and bred in the city. His boyhood territory was the vast, almost rural, valley of the cemeteries and the allotments of Tenantry Down. Added to Don's personal memories, are recollections from family and friends, which are incorporated into this interesting tale of life in Brighton in a bygone era.Take Him Away
Author(s): Ron Piper
Published: 1995
This adventure begins with Ron Piper, as a boy of seven, clambering around bombsites looking for shrapnel and ends with his appearance in the dock at The Old Bailey, as a notorious career criminal. It is a powerful wartime record of the author's steady progress towards a life of crime in war-torn East London. Ron's unique style and humour convey to the reader the tribulations of his life, as well as describing the deep camaraderie, friendship and mischief that he shared with his companions and fellow felons. Full of vivid memories and colourful characters, it's a compelling account of one man's life history, which also conveys a vivid picture of the social history of the time.Stroke: Who Cares? - The stories of five carers
Author(s): Georgina Castelfranc, Karen Clark, Guy Pearman, Irene Player, Joan Roberts
Published: 1993(reprinted 1996)
Continuing the theme of working with people who have suffered strokes, this book is intended as both a self-help aid and as a helpful guide that can provide support to others in similar situations. It is written by five people with experience of caring for a close relative who has suffered a stroke. The process of compiling their memories and thoughts and putting pen to paper was therapeutic for the authors. Their objective was to reach out and help others who may be struggling to cope in similar circumstances. Carers often have to deal with exasperating, challenging behaviour and a personal sense of being trapped and isolated. All of the narratives are lively, moving, evocative and informative and are taken from the layman's point of view, as the authors consider that professionals cannot speak with such insight. Issues that are covered include practical concerns such as claiming state benefits, hospital procedures, respite and palliative care.Bangla Brighton - Voices from the Bangladeshi community in Brighton
Author(s): Members of the Bengali community
Published: 2006
Poetic and passionate, lively and lyrical, Bangla Brighton is a series of moving true life accounts of life on the South coast by Brighton and Hove"s Bangladeshi community. At times heartbreaking, but always full of hope, these stories offer the reader a glimpse into a fascinating culture. As intriguing as it is informative, Bangla Brighton gives one of the lesser heard voices in our community a chance to be heard. I have visited many, many areas, many places but finally Brighton gave me a little bit of my village life. In this sense it is my village.