What life stories do Londoners have to tell?

Everyone has their own unique story and their own individual way of telling it. Here you can access full interviews with nineteen people. Click on a button to find out more.

My Tang   My Tang was born in Haiphong in North Vietnam in 1961. With her family, she came to Britain via Hong Kong as a refugee when she was 17 years old. She is a community worker. Handley Best   Handley Best was born in Barbados in 1944 and grew up in Christchurch. He was recruited by London Transport and came to Britain in 1966 to work as a bus conductor. He later progressed into management with London Transport. Patricia Pons   Patricia Pons was born in Puerto Rios in Chile in 1952. She came to Britain with her husband, a student, in 1978. She studied chemical engineering and now works at the Minority Rights Unit. Fazal Saleemi   Fazal Saleemi was born in Nairobi in Kenya in 1934. His father was recruited from Lahore to work on railway construction. He came to Britain in 1963 and initially continued as an architect before starting a family business. Jenny Page   Jenny Page was born in Martinborough in New Zealand in 1946. She trained as a psychopaedic nurse, before coming to Britain and travelling in Europe. She now works with Social Services. Emanuel Litvinoff   Emanuel Litvinoff was born in the East End of London in 1915, his parents having left the Ukraine to escape the persecution of Jewish people. He served during the Second World War. He is a poet and author. Mirjana Kosanovic   Mirjana Kosanovic was born in Yugoslavia in 1952. She worked in a bank before leaving with her husband and children. At the time of interview she was seeking political asylum. Seva Novgorodsev   Seva Novgorodsev was born in Leningrad in Russia in 1940. A jazz musician and DJ, he left the Soviet Union in 1975 and lived in Rome before coming to London in 1977. He works as a presenter for the BBC World Service. Suzanne Samson   Suzanne Samson was born in Berlin in Germany in 1924. She went to Italy in 1935, escaping the Nazi regime. She came to Britain in 1939 when Jewish people were expelled from Italy, and served as a civilian in the post-war Occupation Army. Sam King   Sam King was born in Portland in Jamaica in 1926. He served in the Royal Air Force in Britain during the Second World War and returned on the Empire Windrush in 1948. He served as Mayor of Southwark in the 1980s. Betty Phillips   Betty Phillips was born in London in 1923. She grew up in the Regent's Park area and later in Chalk Farm. She moved with her husband to Stevenage New Town in 1957. Abraham Lué   Abraham Lué was born in Jamaica in 1939, his parents having moved there from China. He moved with his family to Hong Kong in 1949. He came to Britain to study and went on to pursue an academic career. William Parker   William Parker was born in Kumasi in Ghana in the late 1950s. He came to Britain in 1976. He worked in a factory while pursuing his musical career as a percussionist. Mary Maguire   Mary Maguire was born in County Fermanagh in 1915. She came to Britain in 1935 and worked as a parlour maid, before marrying and bringing up six children. SPG   SPG was born in Istanbul in Turkey in 1949. She came to Britain at the age of 16 to study interior design. She now runs her own architectural and design company. Alice Humm   Alice Humm was born in Bermondsey in London in 1893. She worked in various trades in Petticoat Lane before marrying. Her husband was a boilerman. She moved with her husband to Cambridge in the 1930s. Olive Besagni   Olive Besagni was born in Gospel Oak in London in 1925. She was evacuated during the war, before returning to London. She worked in film editing. Her father was of Italian origin and she later married an Italian man. Monica Vasconcelos   Monica Vasconcelos was born in São Paulo in Brazil in 1966. She began singing professionally as a teenager. She came to Britain in 1992. She formed her band in 1994 and both writes and performs. Maghar Singh Hunjan   Maghar Singh Hunjan was born in the Punjab in India before moving to Nairobi in Kenya in 1955. He worked as a civil servant before coming to Britain in 1969. He is General Secretary of a Ramgharia Sikh gurdwara in East London.