Old Queens Reading

We have created a list of some of the fantastic books written by (or about) our alumnae for your summer reading list. We encourage everyone to purchase books from Hive where possible, as this is a fantastic way to support your local bookshop

Fiction

Which Way? by Theodora Benson (OQ ca. 1920)

Imprisoned By Love by Catherine Brahams-Melinek (OQ 1984)

Dead Thin by Diana Brahams (OQ 1961)

The Sea Road Margaret Elphinstone (OQ 1967) and more titles

Woman of Singular Occupation by Penelope Gilliatt (OQ 1947) and more titles

My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin (OQ 1977) and more titles

Ships That Pass in the Night by Beatrice Harraden (OQ 1880)

The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher. A novel inspired by the life of Kathleen Kennedy (OQ 1938)

The Collected Short Stories of Katherine Mansfield (OQ 1906)

The Black Dress by Deborah Moggach (OQ 1962) and more titles

Whirlwind by Hilary Norman (OQ 1959-65) and more titles 

Sunrise at An Lac by Alex Rushton (OQ 1976) and more titles

The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters (OQ 1995) and more titles

The Schoolhouse by Sophie Ward (OQ 1983) and more titles

The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (OQ 1928) and more titles

Okay Then That’s Great by Susannah Wise (OQ 1989) and more titles

Non-fiction

Julia Wedgwood, the Radical Victorian: The Life and Writing of a Remarkable Female Intellectual by Sue Brown Biography of Julia Wedgwood (OQ 1848)

The Life of Sophia Jex-Blake by Margaret Todd Biography of Sophia Jex-Blake (OQ 1858)

Difficult Women: A History of Women in 11 Fights by Helen Lewis Featuring Sophia Jex-Bake (OQ 1858)

Queen of the Desert: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell by Georgina Howell. A biography of Gertrude Bell (OQ 1886)

Katherine Mansfield: A Secret Life by Claire Tomalin. A Biography of Katherine Mansfield (OQ 1906)

All Sorts of Lives: Katherine Mansfield and the Art of Risking Everything by Claire Harman. A new, critically acclaimed biography of Katherine Mansfield to commemorate the centenary of her death.

My Katherine Mansfield Project by Kirsty Gunn

Wild Mary: The Life of Mary Wesley by Patrick Marnham. A biography of Mary Wesley (OQ 1928)

Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK’s Forgotten Sister, and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne. A biography of Kathleen Kennedy (OQ 1938)

A Genius in the Family by Piers and Hilary du Pré. A family memoir of Jacqueline du Pré (OQ 1959)

Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell. A biography of Anna Wintour (OQ 1963)

Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me from Success by Miki Berenyi (OQ 1985)

Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life by Hermione Lee (OQ 1965) and more titles

Charlotte Salomon and the Theatre of Memory by Griselda Pollock (OQ 1966) and more titles

Smoke! Othello! A Creative Look at the Historical Black Presence in Kensington and Chelsea by Vanessa Walters (OQ 1995)

Downshifting: The Bestselling Guide to Happier, Simpler Living by Judy Jones & Polly Ghazi (OQ 1981)

Palestine on a Plate: Memories from my Mother's Kitchen byJoudie Kalla (OQ 1996)

The Intelligent Conversationalist: 31 Cheat Sheets That Will Show You How to Talk to Anyone about Anything by Imogen Lloyd Webber (OQ 1995)

A Hole in My Life: Battling Chronic Dizziness by Philippa Thomson (OQ 1975)

Whoever Thought of That? Short Biographies of Some Contributors to the History of Mathematics by Jenny Ramsden (Teacher of Mathematics 1989 - 1996)

An Ordinary Miracle by Louise Walker (poetry pamphlet by Teacher of English 1991-2019 – contact @louise_walker_poetry on Instagram for more information)