It’s been almost a year since the Guardian published my article about relocating to Norwich after a lifetime in my hometown of New York City, and I’m very happy to report that I’m still (and increasingly) thrilled to be here.
The article was written during my first blush of “new love” with Norwich. After it came out came the seeping-in of life’s mundane complications: the confusion of filing taxes in an unfamiliar system, the rebuilding of a side-swiped career, challenges accessing healthcare via the NHS (which I wholeheartedly believe in).
I subsequently went into a bit of an emotional dip, wondering whether I’d made a horrible mistake. But I’m well on the other side of that now and feeling more resolved in my choice than ever.
One advantage of being new to a place is that my eyes and my mind are wide open and eager to be filled up. So just when I think I’ve met every person it makes sense for me to meet, there are more! More artists, writers, musicians. More creative clusters and exciting bands to indulge in (thank you, the Neutrinos!). New kindnesses and generosities to receive. Several successful musicians I knew in New York have even come through here on tour. All of this feels like an embarrassment of riches.
Like peeling an onion, there’s been layer upon layer of inspirational people and communities to discover. People doing amazing work at the Norwich Arts Centre, the National Centre for Writing, Norfolk Network, the American Library and the Norwich University of the Arts to mention a few. We’ve collaborated on all sorts of fun, funny, expansive, sometimes-a-bit bonkers events and projects.
The Ballad of Speedball BabyI released a memoir, the Ballad of Speedball Baby, at the start of 2024 and the enthusiastic support I’ve felt for events surrounding it — parties at the Book Hive and American Library at the Forum, talks at the National Centre for Writing and Norwich University of the Arts, interviews on BBC Sounds and BBC Norfolk and Future Radio— has made the experience incredibly fun.
Undoubtedly, there were some initial culture shocks; New York operates at a very fast pace all the time, whether you’re buying a bagel, pushing your way onto the subway, or running a huge photo set. It took a while to adjust to the slower pace here and I found myself unintentionally talking laps around people before, relieved and contrite, making a concerted effort to leave some space. I also didn’t fully predict how badly my decades’ long, successful careers in photography and writing would be undermined by the move.
Initially I did a few commercial jobs here based on my reputation and track record, and I charged a low-end version of what I would have charged in New York. That quickly revealed itself to be a bit more than the market would bear, so I’ve had to adjust and recognise the need to focus on other markets like London as well. I’m still figuring out what all that looks like.
Ali is a portrait and documentary photographer and writer, contributing regularly to the Guardian, the Observer, the New Review, the New York Times and other publications internationally.
She’s shot advertising and promotional campaigns for Rimmel, Disney, Johnson & Johnson and many others, and has released two critically acclaimed books of photography. The most recent, Momma Love; How the Mother Half Lives, won two international book awards, was featured by the NY Times (and others), activist Gloria Steinem called it a gift to moms, and photographer Amy Arbus deemed it “essential.”
Ali’s memoir, the Ballad of Speedball Baby, is her story— alternately hilarious and heart-breaking – of being the only woman in an influential, 90s New York punk band.
With Norwich Castle’s long-anticipated reopening and the debut of The Castle: Rebuilding History, we spoke with Charlie Gauvain, Managing Director of Eye Film, to delve into the making of the documentary and examine the current landscape of Norwich’s film industry.
