To mark twenty years of championing the city, VisitNorwich presents an ambitious year-long cultural celebration:
Twenty Stories. One City. The City of Stories.
Told by twenty invited guest authors from across the city’s creative and cultural community we present at the heart of our storytelling twenty people from history who have helped shaped Norwich over 1000 years.
These people whose legacy can still be discovered across the city today range from medieval rebels and mystics to pioneering reformers, artists, entrepreneurs and unsung heroes.
Here we share their tales through stories, accounts, poetry, essays and musings. Then, it’s your turn.
We have a simple invitation: Step Into The Story.
Because this is a city to experience and not just read about- an invitation to stand where they stood, walk their streets and visit the places that shaped them.
This summer, join Norwich History Festival to find out more! Celebrate the festival’s launch with ‘Norwich – City of Mavericks and Pioneering Women’ (14 July, 1pm, £5), before joining Norwich Story Walks’ ‘The Norwich “Twenty Stories, One City” Story Walks’ (Part 1, 20 July, 4pm; Part 2, 24 July, 5.30pm, £10)!
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For businesses- get involved! Download our Toolkit to read about how you can use Twenty Stories to learn, build awareness, grow footfall and inspire loyalty with customers.
Stories Published So Far:
Jack Valentine | Emma de Guader | Pablo Fanque | Rumsey Wells | John Crome | Harriet Martineau | Julian of Norwich | Elizabeth Fry
Norwich isn’t a stranger to fantastic firsts- from the first provincial newspaper to the first pedestrianised street. And when it comes to incredible people, we’ve got Harriet Martineau, England’s first female journalist, Julian of Norwich, the first woman to be published in English, and Pablo Fanque, Britain’s first recorded Black circus proprietor!
Norwich is a maverick city where trailblazers have etched their names into the history books and shaped our city into what it is today, both figuratively and literally! From the original words of Sir Thomas Browne to the bravery of rebel Robert Kett, by way of business-savvy Rumsey Wells and ‘Gaudi of Norwich’, the architect George Skipper. Plus protectors of Norwich Castle, Emma de Guader and Samuel Bignold, 800 years apart!
Plenty of women have left their mark on the City of Stories, including many unsung heroes as well as well-known names. There’s author and abolitionist Amelia Opie, brave WWI nurse Edith Cavell and prison reformer Elizabeth Fry. And have you heard of lepidopterist Margaret Fountaine or welfare champion Caroline Colman?
Known for its creative community, Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, has been home to notable storytellers and traditional tales for centuries. Whether it’s the mysteries of Jack Valentine and Peter the Wild Boy or letter writers Margaret Paston and Margie Fahey-McGrath. Not to mention Black Beauty author Anna Sewell and artist John Crome.
From medieval mystics to enduring artists, pioneering women to revolutionary locals. Twenty stories of twenty Norwich characters.
