Telling Stories of Brighton and Hove

A compilation of narratives reflecting 50 years of Brighton & Hove's diverse history, including stories of Black residents and communities.

QueenSpark Books

For 50 years, QueenSpark Books has enabled the people of Brighton & Hove to tell their stories.

Our archive of over 110 books documents the changing face of the city from the early-20th Century to the present day – from the ‘Poor Dispensary’ and slum housing, through two World Wars, and up to the creative development and cultural diversity that, for many, defines the city. Telling Stories of Brighton & Hove incorporates a selection of pieces from the archive alongside new writing, following a public callout in Autumn 2021.


These stories – of protest, pubs, hardship, LGBTQ rights, cinema-going and clubbing, Black history, strikes, migration, and having a cup of tea – are of the people and places that go to make Brighton & Hove what it is today.


  • Format: Paperback, 210x210mm, 100pp
  • Illustrated throughout with colour and black & white photographs
  • Editor: John Riches
  • ISBN 978-1-999-6699-6-6
  • UK Postage only


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Explore Dr Derwent Waldron’s documented life in Hove, his Jamaican roots and the family records linking him to Modena Road and Carlisle Road, Sussex.
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September 18, 2026
The story of Faith Matyszak-Gander MBE, known as Mrs Whitehawk, and her role in Brighton community, housing and anti-racist work