Monica Ali author page

Monica Ali biography

Monica Ali is a British author known for her novels exploring themes of identity, migration, and cultural conflict. She was born in Dhaka, then part of East Pakistan, and moved to England at the age of three. Ali studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford.

Her debut novel, Brick Lane, was published by Doubleday in 2003. The book follows the life of Nazneen, a Bangladeshi woman who moves to London for an arranged marriage, and examines her experiences adapting to a new culture. Brick Lane was shortlisted for the 2003 Booker Prize and the Guardian First Book Award. The novel was also longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2004.

Ali’s subsequent novels include Alentejo Blue (2006), set in a Portuguese village, and In the Kitchen (2009), which centres on a London hotel chef and addresses issues of immigration and labour. In 2011, she published Untold Story, a novel imagining an alternative life for Princess Diana.

Ali’s work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Financial Times. She has also contributed to various anthologies and literary projects.

In 2022, Ali published Love Marriage with Virago, a novel exploring family, love, and cultural expectations in contemporary Britain.