TL Scotland 3: PAUSE

01/20/25 • 20 min

“You go back and listen. People that have passed now, you can hear their voices... it just brings back memories.”

Unlike a letter or telegram, or even a video on a screen, a cassette recording can feel like the person is right there in the room.

This episode reflects on the deep emotional impact of Tape Letters. It also explores questions of identity, nationality, and culture.

“I take pride in being Scottish, I’m Scottish-Pakistani... [but] I'm torn between two cultures, two languages, two countries.”

Episode credits

Contributors: Izaz Ur Rahman, Naila Waseem, Mohammed Farooq, Dean Mohammed, Jamila Bibi, Mirza Muhammad Saeed, Nadira Saddiq, Shenaz Ahmad, Faria Khan, Kausar Ilyas, Nasim Hussain, Akeel Ahmad, Khalida Hussain

Cassette tape donors: Khadijah Khurram, Mohammed Ishaq, Kauser Riaz, Rehana Ahmad

Project director: Wajid Yaseen

Podcast presenter: Tabassum Niamat

Podcast production & sound design: Steve Urquhart

Tape Letters Scotland is a Modus Arts project, made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

“You go back and listen. People that have passed now, you can hear their voices... it just brings back memories.”

Unlike a letter or telegram, or even a video on a screen, a cassette recording can feel like the person is right there in the room.

This episode reflects on the deep emotional impact of Tape Letters. It also explores questions of identity, nationality, and culture.

“I take pride in being Scottish, I’m Scottish-Pakistani... [but] I'm torn between two cultures, two languages, two countries.”

Episode credits

Cassette tape donors: Khadijah Khurram, Mohammed Ishaq, Kauser Riaz, Rehana Ahmad

Project director: Wajid Yaseen

Podcast presenter: Tabassum Niamat

Podcast production & sound design: Steve Urquhart

Tape Letters Scotland is a Modus Arts project, made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Previous Episode

Season 2 - TL Scotland: Trailer

On 20 January 2025, Tape Letters, the award-winning podcast, returns with a brand-new second series: Tape Letters Scotland.

The Tape Letters Scotland project shines a light on the practice of recording and sending messages on cassette tape as an unorthodox method of communication by Pakistanis who migrated and settled in Scotland between 1960-1980. This four-part series features original tape recordings and oral history interviews with Scottish-Pakistani families who used cassette tapes in this way.

A Modus Arts production. Produced by Steve Urquhart. Narration by Tabassum Niamat. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.