Monica Ali CBE FRSL (Bengali: মনিকা আলী; born 20 October 1967) is a British writer with Bangladeshi and English heritage. In 2003, she was chosen as one of the "Best of Young British Novelists" by Granta based on an unpublished manuscript. Her first novel, Brick Lane, was published later that year. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and later adapted into a 2007 film with the same name. She has also written four other novels. Her fifth novel, Love Marriage, was published by Virago Press in February 2022 and quickly became a top-selling book in the Sunday Times.

In 2024, Ali was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to literature. She became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2019.

Early life and education

Ali was born in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), in 1967. Her father is Bangladeshi, and her mother is English. When Ali was three years old, her family moved to Bolton, England. Her father is originally from the area of Mymensingh. Ali attended Bolton School and later studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Wadham College, Oxford.

Brick Lane

Brick Lane, a novel written by Monica Ali in 2003, is set in the Bangladeshi community in London. The story follows Nazneen, a young woman who moves from Bangladesh to Tower Hamlets at age 18 to marry Chanu, an older man. At first, Nazneen knows very little English. The book describes her experiences as she learns to live in the community, while also showing the life of her sister, Hasina, through letters they write to each other.

Brick Lane was praised by many British newspapers. It became a bestseller on The Daily Telegraph and was listed as a finalist for the Man Booker Prize. The Observer newspaper especially praised the character of Chanu, describing him as both annoying and kind. Critics in the United States also gave the novel positive reviews.

However, the book caused debate among some members of the Bangladeshi community in Britain. Some groups believed Ali had shown people from the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh in a negative way, as most Bangladeshi immigrants in the Brick Lane area come from this region. In 2006, tensions grew when some members of the Bangladeshi community opposed Ruby Films’ plan to film parts of the movie adaptation in the Brick Lane area. A group called the Campaign Against Monica Ali's Film Brick Lane was formed. They organized protests, arguing that the book and film unfairly and simply portrayed the area and the Bangladeshi community, while ignoring its complex history.

Germaine Greer, a writer and activist, supported the campaign. She wrote that the novel simplified and misrepresented people from Sylhet in Brick Lane and showed Ali’s "lack of authenticity," as she had not spent much time in the Brick Lane community. Salman Rushdie, another writer, criticized Greer for her comments, calling them "philistine, sanctimonious, and disgraceful, but … not unexpected."

Love Marriage

After a ten-year break, during which Ali experienced a "loss of confidence," as reported in an interview with The Guardian, she returned with her fifth novel, Love Marriage. The book, described in The Times' culture section as a "literary love story," is set in London during 2016–2017. It follows Yasmin Ghorami, a 26-year-old junior doctor, who is engaged to Joe Sangster, a fellow doctor. In the same article, journalist Rosie Kinchen wrote that society is "a time when feelings are very complicated and people often seem eager to take offense." She added, "This is why it is a good time for Ali to return. She is skilled at showing characters' flaws, misunderstandings, and contradictions, yet making readers care for them anyway."

In a review for The Times Literary Supplement, novelist Tash Aw called the novel "rich, sensitive, and very entertaining," noting it includes "extremely funny moments of difficult social humor." In The Financial Times, novelist Susie Boyt praised it as "wildly entertaining…a bold and generous book." David Sexton of The Sunday Times agreed, describing Love Marriage as:

"Very satisfying in its ideas and observations, and in its exploration of cultural diversity in Britain. At once touching and satirical…engrossing and enjoyable."

The novel received mostly positive reviews, helping it reach The Sunday Times' bestseller list in its first week. Ali shared on her website that television rights to Love Marriage were sold to New Pictures after a "heated auction," and the book is now being developed with the BBC.

In 2023, Love Marriage was shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize.

Views

Ali disagreed with the British government's effort to create the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. She wrote about this in an essay included in Free Expression Is No Offence, a book published by Penguin Books and English PEN in 2005.

Ali introduced the term "marketplace for outrage" in an article in The Guardian, where she shared her thoughts about events related to the filming of Brick Lane.

From 2015 to 2020, Ali worked as a trustee for the Saint Giles Trust, a charity that helps people who have been in prison and others who are not treated fairly. She also wrote about the importance of supporting people who have recently been released from prison.

In 2020, Ali became Patron of Hopscotch Women's Centre, a charity that was first started by Save the Children to help ethnic minority families who moved to the UK to join their partners. The organization became independent in 1998 and continues to help women and girls reach their goals.

Marks & Spencer's campaign

In 2013, Ali was chosen as a model for Marks & Spencer's "Womanism" campaign. The campaign had the subtitle "Britain's leading ladies." Ali appeared with British women from different fields, such as pop singer Ellie Goulding, Olympic gold medalist boxer Nicola Adams, and actress Helen Mirren.

Personal life

Ali lives in South London with her husband, Simon Torrance, who works as a business advisor. They have two children.

Publications

Brick Lane, published by Doubleday in 2003.
The short story "Knife" is part of The Weekenders: Adventures in Calcutta, published by Ebury in 2004.
Introduction to The End of the Affair, published by Vintage Classics in 2004.
The essay "Do We Need Laws on Hatred?" is part of Free Expression is No Offence, published by English PEN in 2005.
Alentejo Blue, published by Doubleday in 2006.
Introduction to The Painter of Signs, published by Penguin Classics in 2006.
In the Kitchen, published by Doubleday in 2009.
Untold Story, published by Scribner in 2011.
Afterword for Dangerous Edges of Graham Greene, published by Continuum in 2011.
The short story "Contrary Motion" is part of Closure: Contemporary Black British Short Stories, published by Peepal Tree in 2015.
The essay "The Son's Tale" is part of Refugee Tales III, published by Comma Press in 2019.
Love Marriage, published by Little, Brown in 2022.