Monica Ali Bolton, England. Her father is originally from the district of Mymensingh. She went to Bolton School and then studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Wadham College, Oxford. "Brick Lane" – named after Brick Lane, a street at the heart of London's Bangladeshi community – follows the life of Nazneen, a Bangladeshi woman who moves to London at the age of 18, to marry an older man, Chanu. They live in Tower Hamlets. At first her English consists only of "sorry" and "thank you;" the novel explores her life and adaptations in the community, as well as the character of Chanu,
Brick Lane (2007 film) of opposition from some of the local community, police advised her to change locations after demonstrations were threatened. The novel and film provoked criticism by some in the Bangladeshi community in London, who thought that Chanu and the Bangladeshis from Sylheti generally, were portrayed in a negative way. Some traders organized against having the film company doing any production in the neighborhood; on 31 July 2006, about 120 British Bangladeshis held a protest in Brick Lane. Others wrote letters to the editor in "The Guardian" and spoke in support of the film production, including the British chapter of PEN and