TimeStampBot at 13:41, 3 October 2023

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{{Short description|English author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use British English}}

{{Infobox writer
| name = Bali Rai
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|11|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Leicester]], [[Leicestershire]], England
| occupation = Novelist
| language = English
| genre = [[Young adult fiction]]
| movement =
| notableworks = ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]'', ''Rani and Sukh'', ''Killing Honour''
| spouse =
| website = {{URL|http://www.balirai.co.uk/}}
}}
'''Bali Rai''' (born 30 November 1971) is an English author of [[children's literature|children's]] and [[young adult fiction]].

==Early life==
Rai was born in [[Leicester]] in 1971, to [[Punjab|Punjabi]] parents.<ref name="tamarind">{{cite web|title=Sohni Mehiwal: Bali Rai|url=http://www.tamarindbooks.co.uk/blog/index.php/2014/01/sohni-mehiwal-bali-rai/|website=Tamarind Books Blog|publisher=Tamarind Books|accessdate=15 January 2018|ref=tamarind1}}</ref> At the age of eleven, he read ''[[The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾|The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole]]'' by [[Sue Townsend]], which inspired him to take up writing. He has also cited [[Roald Dahl]] as an early influence on his writing.<ref name="official">{{cite web|title=Bali Rai Biography|url=http://www.balirai.co.uk/biography|website=Bali Rai Official Website|accessdate=15 January 2018|ref=official1|archive-date=15 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915142850/http://www.balirai.co.uk/biography|url-status=dead}}</ref> He attended [[Judgemeadow Community College]], moving to [[Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College]] for [[sixth form college|sixth form]].

In 1991, Rai moved to London to study at [[South Bank University]], graduating with a 2:1 in politics.<ref name="bkt">{{cite web|title=Bali Rai|url=https://www.booktrust.org.uk/authors/r/rai-bali/|website=BookTrust|publisher=BookTrust|accessdate=15 January 2018|ref=bkt}}</ref> He stayed in London for two years after graduating, but was forced to return to Leicester due to personal circumstances. He had a number of jobs, including working for a supermarket, in telesales, and managing a bar. He began to write his first novel, ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]'', during this period.<ref name="official" />

==Writing career==
Bali Rai showed parts of his debut novel, ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]'', to literary agent Jennifer Luithlen, who agreed to represent him. Once the novel had been edited, Rai signed a contract with [[Transworld Publishers|Transworld]]. The novel was published in 2001 to critical acclaim.

''Rani & Sukh'', which Rai described as a "true mash-up of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], [[Bollywood]] and [[Punjabi folklore|Punjabi folk tales]]", was published in 2004 and later became a [[General Certificate of Secondary Education|GCSE]] set-text.<ref name="tamarind" /> He has also written several books for dyslexia-friendly publisher [[Barrington Stoke]], such as ''Dream On'' and its sequel ''Game On''. His work has been published in various anthologies, including the 2017 book ''Here I Stand'', raising money and awareness for the human rights charity [[Amnesty International]].

Rai has made appearances on television and radio to discuss racism, his writing, and promoting reading for pleasure.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite web|title=Four Thought, Series 2, Bali Rai: Stop Talking About Race|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bb7k6|website=BBC Radio 4|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=15 January 2018|ref=bbc1}}</ref><ref name="bbc2">{{cite web|title=Sonia Deol, Author Bali Rai|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014j413|website=BBC Asian Network|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=15 January 2018|ref=bbc2}}</ref> He has also been an ambassador for [[The Reading Agency]]'s Reading Ahead programme, and was [[BookTrust]]'s sixth online writer-in-residence.<ref name="bkt2">{{cite web|title=Writer in Residence Bali Rai|url=https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books/writer-in-residence/previous-writers-in-residence/bali-rai/#!?sortOption=MostRecent&pageNo=1|website=BookTrust|publisher=BookTrust|accessdate=15 January 2018|ref=bkt2}}</ref> In 2019 he became an Ambassador for audiobook charity [https://www.listening-books.org.uk/ Listening Books].

In 2014, Rai received an honorary doctorate from [[De Montfort University]] in Leicester.<ref name="dmu">{{cite web|title=Summer Graduations - Saturday PM|url=https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154401366195377.1073741979.83533635376&type=3|website=[[Facebook]]|publisher=[[De Montfort University]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=dmu}}</ref>

==Awards==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Award
|-
| 2002 || [[Angus Book Award]], for ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]''<ref name="angus">{{cite web|title=Archived: Angus Book Award Winners|url=http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Books/Award-Winning-Scottish-Books/Angus-Book-Award|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117170100/http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Books/Award-Winning-Scottish-Books/Angus-Book-Award|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 January 2014|website=Books from Scotland|publisher=[[Wayback Machine]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=angus}}</ref>
|-
| 2002 || Leicester Children's Book Award, for ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]''<ref name="lboty">{{cite web|title=Book of the Year 2006 – award ceremony|url=https://www.leicester.gov.uk/news/news-story-details/?nId=2774|website=[[Leicester City Council]]|publisher=[[Leicester City Council]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=lboty|archive-date=17 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117011828/https://www.leicester.gov.uk/news/news-story-details/?nId=2774|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 2002 || Stockport Schools' Book Award, for ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]''<ref name="stock">{{cite web|title=Archived: Winners From Previous Years|url=http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/leisureculture/libraries/otherlibraryservices/stockportschoollibraryservice/sba/pastwinners/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928202900/http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/leisureculture/libraries/otherlibraryservices/stockportschoollibraryservice/sba/pastwinners/|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 September 2011|website=[[Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council]]|publisher=[[Wayback Machine]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=stock}}</ref>
|-
| 2004 || Calderdale Book of the Year, for ''The Crew''<ref name="random" />
|-
| 2004 || Leicester Children's Book Award, for ''The Crew''<ref name="random" />
|-
| 2004 || North Lanarkshire Book Award, for ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]''<ref name="random" />
|-
| 2005 || [[International Board on Books for Young People |IBBY]] Sweden ''Silverstjärnor'' (Silver Star), for the Swedish translation of ''Rani and Sukh''<ref name="ibby">{{cite web|title=Tidigare mottagare av Silverstjärnor|url=http://ibby.se/priserutmarkelser/peter-pan-priset/tidigare-mottagare-av-silverstjarnorna/|website=[[International Board on Books for Young People|IBBY]] Sverige|publisher=[[International Board on Books for Young People]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=ibby}}</ref>
|-
| 2005 || Redbridge Teenage Book Award, for ''Rani and Sukh''<ref name="redb">{{cite web|title=Redbridge Children's Book Awards|url=https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/libraries/redbridge-childrens-book-awards/|website=[[London Borough of Redbridge]]|publisher=[[London Borough of Redbridge]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=redb}}</ref>
|-
| 2006 || Renfrewshire Teenage Book Award, for ''Rani and Sukh''<ref name="random">{{cite web|title=Archived: Prizes & Awards|url=http://www.randomhousesites.co.uk/childrens/grownups/prizes/prizes.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430004916/http://www.randomhousesites.co.uk/childrens/grownups/prizes/prizes.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 April 2013|website=[[Random House|Kids at Random House]]|publisher=[[Wayback Machine]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=random}}</ref>
|-
| 2011 || North East Teenage Book Award, for ''Killing Honour''<ref name="netba">{{cite web|title=And the winner is...|url=https://northeastteenagebookaward.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/and-the-winner-is-3/|website=North East Teenage Book Award|publisher=North East Teenage Book Award|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=netba}}</ref>
|-
| 2014 || Honorary doctorate from [[De Montfort University]], Leicester<ref name="dmu" />
|-
| 2015 || Leeds Book Award, for ''Web of Darkness''<ref name="leeds">{{cite web|title=Winners - Leeds Book Awards|url=https://www.leedsbookawards.co.uk/winners.php|website=Leeds Book Awards|publisher=[[Leeds City Council|Leeds Libraries]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=leeds}}</ref>
|-
| 2015 || Shropshire Teenage Book Award, for ''Web of Darkness''<ref name="shrop">{{cite web|title=Teenage Book Award 2015 to be launched on 23 September|url=http://shropshire.gov.uk/news/2015/09/teenage-book-award-2015-to-be-launched-on-23-september/|website=Shropshire Newsroom|publisher=[[Shropshire Council]]|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=shrop}}</ref>
|-
| 2015 || Southern Schools Book Award, for ''Web of Darkness''<ref name="ssba">{{cite web|title=Southern Schools Book Award 2015 Presentation Evening|url=http://southernschoolsbookaward.co.uk/2015-2/|website=Southern Schools Book Award|publisher=Southern Schools Book Award|accessdate=16 January 2018|ref=ssba|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116193239/http://southernschoolsbookaward.co.uk/2015-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|}

==Works==
* ''[[(Un)arranged Marriage]]'' (2001)
* ''The Crew'' (2003)
* ''What's Your Problem?'' (2003)
* ''Rani and Sukh'' (2004)
* ''The Whisper'' (2005)
* ''Dominoes and Other Stories'' (2005)
* ''The Last Taboo'' (2006)
* ''The Angel Collector'' (2007)
* ''City of Ghosts'' (2009)
* ''Killing Honour'' (2011)
* ''The Guru and The King'' (2012)
* ''Fire City'' (2012)
* ''Demon Hunter'' (2012)
* ''The Night Run'' (2014)
* ''Kiss of Death'' (2014)
* ''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)

===Barrington Stoke===
* ''Dream On'' (2002)
* ''Two Timer'' (2005)
* ''Revenge of the Number Two'' (2007)
* ''Are You Kidding?'' (2008)
* ''Them and Us'' (2009)
* ''The Gun'' (2011)
* ''Shivers'' (2013)
* ''Old Dog, New Tricks'' (2014)
* ''Game On'' (2015), sequel to ''Dream On''
* ''The Harder They Fall'' (2017)

===Non-fiction===
* ''Politics: Cutting Through the Crap'' (2006)

===Contributor===
Bali Rai has contributed short stories to a number of anthologies, including:
* ''Thirteen'' (2005)
* ''Losing It'', edited by Keith Gray (2010)
* ''How to be a Boy'', edited by [[Tony Bradman]] (2011)
* ''The Library Book'' (2012)
* ''Love Hurts'', edited by [[Malorie Blackman]] (2015)
* ''Here I Stand'', by [[Amnesty International]] (2017)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.balirai.co.uk Official website]
*[http://www.luithlenagency.com/rai.html Agent's website]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Bali}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:English children's writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of London South Bank University]]

Bali Rai - Revision history

TimeStampBot at 13:41, 3 October 2023