Explore the lives of Bengali and Sylheti-speaking communities living and working in the Cathedral and King St quarters of Norwich.
Follow the walking trail and scan the QR code at each marked location to hear a first-hand account of the lives of residents: their memoires of migration, of growing up as second and third-generation Bengalis, and of how Norwich has changed over time.
There are 14 excerpts in total for you to enjoy — the full audio and transcripts of each are available on our website and from the Norfolk Record Office.
Leave the Cathedral Close and make your next stop outside the East Anglian Bangladeshi Mosque & Community Centre on Rose Lane, a welcoming and inclusive space for the Bangladeshi community.
Giyash Miah
‘These days I manage a restaurant, Tamarind. It has been going for ten years. You feel like a proper Bangladeshi when you go inside. I am blessed to have customers who, to me, are more like friends or relatives.’
Listen to Giyash Miah, a talented chef who began his career in the 90s washing dishes and now owns the award-winning Tamarind Fine Indian Dining in Blofield Heath.
Shiblee Sayed
‘I welcome this initiative of the National Centre for Writing to preserve the stories of our Bengali community. Through this project, generations will come to know how we Bengalis grew up here, how our struggles were fought.’
Then, Shiblee Sayed shares memories of childhood in Bangladesh, of working in a Taliban-dominated area of Afghanistan, and of bringing his parents to England for the first time.
Stories From the Quarter is a National Centre for Writing project in partnership with Norfolk Record Office, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. It aims to document and celebrate the stories of the vibrant and diverse communities that live and work in Norwich.
With special thanks to Mahbubar (Mash) Rahman, Shagufta Sharmeen, Ummay Honi Lethe, Access Creative College, Jason Wick at Goat Pen Studio, and Colin Fraser.
