Bali Rai was born in 1971 and grew up in Leicester. His debut novel, (UN)ARRANGED MARRIAGE published in 2001 with fantastic reviews and has since been shortlisted for eight regional book prizes, winning The Angus, Stockport and Leicester Book awards. It has also been translated into eight languages to date.
As a child, Bali wanted to be a footballer or to write stories, but he realised he wasn't good enough to play for Liverpool F.C. and after gaining a politics degree in London he returned to his home city and combined a variety of jobs in pubs and clubs with completing his first novel
Now a full time writer, Bali's second novel for young adults, THE CREW won the 2004 Leicester Book Award and his third, RANI AND SUKH is a story of star-crossed teenage lovers. In March 2005 his fourth young adult novel, DOMINOES - a collection of interlinking stories - was published by Hodder Children's Books.