Bali Rai facts for kids

Bali Rai (born 30 November 1971) is a popular English author. He writes exciting novels for children and teenagers. Many of his stories explore the lives of British-Asian characters.

Early Life and Inspiration

Bali Rai was born in Leicester, England, in 1971. His parents were from the Punjab region of India. Growing up, he discovered a love for reading and writing.

A key moment for him was reading The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend when he was eleven. This book, also set in Leicester, made him want to become a writer. He was also a big fan of the famous children's author Roald Dahl.

After finishing school at Judgemeadow Community College, Rai attended Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College for his final two years of school before university. In 1991, he moved to London to study politics at South Bank University. After graduating, he worked several jobs, including at a supermarket and a bar, while he started writing his first book.

Writing Career

Rai's big break came with his first novel, (Un)arranged Marriage. He showed it to a literary agent, who is a person that helps authors get their books published. The book was published in 2001 and received great reviews.

One of his most famous books is Rani & Sukh, which came out in 2004. Rai has said it's a mix of stories from Shakespeare, Bollywood movies, and traditional Punjabi folk tales. This book became so popular that it is now studied by students for their GCSE English exams in the UK.

Writing for Everyone

Rai is passionate about making reading accessible to all young people. He has written several books for Barrington Stoke, a publisher that creates books that are easier to read for people with dyslexia. Some of these books include Dream On and its sequel, Game On.

He has also contributed stories to collections that support good causes. For example, he wrote for the book Here I Stand, which helped raise money for Amnesty International, a charity that protects human rights.

Promoting Reading

Bali Rai often appears on TV and radio to talk about his books and the importance of reading. He has worked as an ambassador for The Reading Agency, helping to encourage teens and adults to read more. He has also been a writer-in-residence for BookTrust, an organization that helps children discover the joy of reading. In 2019, he became an Ambassador for Listening Books, a charity that provides audiobooks.

In 2014, Rai was given an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University in his hometown of Leicester. This is a special award given to recognize his important contributions to literature.

Awards

Bali Rai has won many awards for his books. Here are some of them:

Selected Books

Bali Rai has written many books. Here is a list of some of his most well-known works.

Novels

• (Un)arranged Marriage (2001)
• The Crew (2003)
• Rani and Sukh (2004)
• The Whisper (2005)
• The Last Taboo (2006)
• City of Ghosts (2009)
• ... Honour (2011)
• Web of Darkness (2014)
• Tales from India (2017)
• Doctor Who: Rebellion on Treasure Island (2023)

Soccer Squad series

• Starting Eleven (2008)
• Missing! (2008)
• Stars! (2008)
• Glory! (2008)

Tales from Devana High series

• Concrete Chips (2004)
• Sold as Seen (2005)
• Jugglin' (2006)
• Trouble (2013)
• Secrets (2013)