Moving memories of city residents launched in a new book
A new book of poems, stories and other moving memories of Peterborough’s residents new and old – is being launched at Peterborough City Council’s New Link Centre in Lincoln Road, Millfield, Peterborough on Tuesday 12 September from 4 pm to 6 pm.
‘Moving Memories’ was the brainchild of Swapna Mazumdar, project manager of Women Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Peterborough (WRAP). It has been partly funded by the New Link Centre and Peterborough Racial Equality Council.
The book includes works from 40 city residents including people originally from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Romania, Japan, Jamaica, Uganda, Pakistan, India, Albania, Zanzibar and Iraq.
There are stories from those who moved to Peterborough from other British cities including Aylesbury and York, two stories from homeless people and two from Peterborians. There are also pieces by Peterborough’s Hindu Priest Kaushik Joshi, Peterborough city centre chaplain Reverend Ian Houghton and Ram Singh Kalra from the Sikh community in Peterborough.
Swapna said: “I hope this book is a small step in understanding the modern mixed heritage of Peterborough.”
City council chief executive Gillian Beasley has written a foreward to the book and will attend the launch. She said: “This is a truly inspirational piece of work which should be compulsory reading as a narrative to help us understand each other better and how our life experiences, whatever they are, good or bad, shape us as individuals.”
New Link Centre manager Suchitra Rampal said: “Moving Memories is an excellent account of people from all walks of life who have made Peterborough their home.
“I am delighted to support this book and I hope that it will not only inform and enlighten its readers, but also act as a means to greater understanding between the people of Peterborough.”
Peterborough Racial Equality Council director Harmesh Lakhanpaul said: “This is an exciting and moving book, filled with beautiful, sometimes painfully honest stories. Peterborough Racial Equality Council welcomes this publication and is happy to provide support to it.”
Source:
- Rachael Gordon, Media & Communication Officer, Peterborough City Council
Related stories:
- “City stories aim to aid understanding,” Peterborough Today, September 14, 2006.
- Extraordinary tales from ‘ordinary’ citizens,” Peterborough Today, September 14, 2006.
Leicester Review of Books 