A new project launched by community publisher QueenSpark Books is inviting submissions from creative young people in Brighton which tell the stories of the First World War from unusual perspectives.

In this case the result of the Arts Council England funded project will be graphic novel Brighton’s Graphic War, due for publication in 2016, featuring the work of 16 writers and artists aged 16 to 24, who may never have worked in the comic book format before.

“What is important is not experience, just really good ideas and a spark,” says Sarah Hutchings, creative and marketing director of QueenSpark Books. “We are expecting a mix of people who love creative writing, and people who love graphic design.”

This is a follow-up to the hugely successful Brighton: The Graphic Novel (published in 2013) which was shortlisted for the 2014 British Comic Awards.

“That was a new foray into a world QueenSpark had not really delved into before; before that I had never read a graphic novel,” says Sarah.

“We were pretty taken aback by how well people responded, it just flew off the shelves.

“People who live here feel very proud of Brighton, and anything that celebrates Brighton gets a tick.”

“After that we sat down as a team, and we all felt there was much more we could have done, and one of the things that we wanted to do was work with younger people.”

Particularly as after the first book was published QueenSpark Books began to get a lot more young people following them on Twitter and attending their events than had traditionally been the case, adds Sarah.

During the submission process the team will be hosting free workshops on writing for the graphic novel aimed at those who are keen to get involved but have no prior experience.

The stories in the book will span the period 1900 to 1920.

“We are trying to create a book which is not just what people might expect. We are looking at picking out some really interesting stories about that period and how it changed people’s lives.

“QueenSpark Books has always been about diversity and we are always looking for those hidden stories.”

This could include the experiences of women and the LGBT community, she says.

Some ideas and themes will be posted on the blog set up especially for this project (brightonsgraphicwar.com), but the content is only limited by the imaginations of the young people who are chosen to take part.

The format will be similar to the publisher’s first graphic novel, with Tim Pilcer, writer and graphic novel expert, and illustrator Paul Collicutt once again driving the project.

Eight young artists will be paired up with eight young writers, who will work together over the course of the project, with a common thread or image appearing in each story to tie the book together.

Sarah says that although Brighton’s Graphic Novel will be a work of fiction, there will be elements of truth in every single story, rather than a complete flight of fancy, and background notes will be included.

QueenSpark Books will work with schools, colleges, and young people’s organisations for the duration of the project, and plan to feature some of the work being produced on the blog, so that it is not just the 16 chosen to create the book who can involve themselves directly.

Sarah explains that they are also working in partnership with Brighton and Hove Libraries, which has granted access to the rare books room for research, and also made available a space for one of the free workshops.

Keeping momentum going over the course of the project is important, particularly as it involves lots of people working on separate sub-projects.

“The two mentors are vital,” says Sarah. “What we did last time was to have a series of events over the course of the two years.”

These included meet-ups and film screenings, and the contributors to Brighton: A Graphic Novel are all still in touch, she says.