Bali Rai was born in 1971 and grew up in Leicester. His debut novel, (UN)ARRANGED MARRIAGE published in 2001 to fantastic reviews and has since been shortlisted for nine regional book prizes, winning The Angus, Stockport, North Lanarkshire and Leicester Book awards. The novel is now in eleven languages and Bali is firmly established as a leading voice in Teenage fiction. As a child, Bali wanted to be a footballer or to write stories. 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. Bali hopes his novels capture the unique ethnic mix of the UK of which he is proud to be a part.