Monica Ali
Monica Ali was Newcomer of the Year at the 2004 British Book Awards and one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. Her first novel, Brick Lane, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the George Orwell Prize for political writing and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.
British writer of Bangladeshi origin, Monica was born in 1967. “On and off I’ve had an idea that it would be a nice thing to be a writer, which is quite a different thing to having the urge to write. That came quite late. And so did the confidence,” she says. Her three books include Brick Lane (2003), Alentejo Blue (2006) and In the Kitchen (2009).
Monica is a great storyteller; an acute observer of modern drama who gives us a knowing look into the melting pot of contemporary existence. The Times said of In The Kitchen that “it’s a serious and intelligent…attempt at tackling the state of the nation. Her best work is yet to come.”
Monica lives in London with her husband and two children.
“When she was voted one of the UK’s best young novelists, Monica Ali’s first book was only a manuscript. Now she’s being hailed as a new Zadie Smith.”
The Observer
Links:
- Monica Ali’s profile at Contemporary Writers
- The Telegraph interviews Monica Ali about her debut book, Brick Lane
Video:
Watch the trailer for the film adaptation of Monica Ali’s Brick Lane:
