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 area, and now an office and entertainment complex. In 1999, it was the scene of a bombing that injured 13 people. Brick Lane has a regular display of graffiti, which features artists such as Banksy, Stik, ROA, D*Face, Ben Eine and Omar Hassan. The lane has been used in many music videos such as "Glory Days" by Just Jack, "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers and "Überlin" by R.E.M.. Large swathes of Brick Lane and its surrounding areas were once owned by the Osborne (later Osborn after 1720) family, Baronets, of Chicksands in the County of Bedford.