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.
Wander through town, taking in the cobbled streets and diverse mix of buildings, until you reach the impressive glass facade of the Forum, home to Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library.
Rahnuma Sultana
‘Norwich is very beautiful; except for our native country, there is nowhere closest to our heart, we don’t want to go anywhere else.’
Meet Rahnuma Sultana, a teaching assistant and mother who moved to Norwich in 2013 and believes ‘except for my native country, there is nowhere closest to my heart’.
Jewel Khan
‘God brought me here – yes, we had to work very hard, but our reward was a life of liberty, and a deep feeling of true peace and contentment.’
Hear the story of Jewel Khan, a lifelong businessman and contented Norwich resident with fond memories of sunsets and banquets in Bangladesh.
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.
