Monica Ali is a British writer of Bangladeshi and English descent, born on 20 October 1967. In 2003, she was selected as one of the 'Best of Young British Novelists' by Granta based on her unpublished manuscript. Her debut novel, Brick Lane, was published later that year and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The novel was adapted into a film in 2007. She has also published four other novels, with her fifth, Love Marriage, released in February 2022 by Virago Press, becoming an instant Sunday Times bestseller.

Ali was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours for her services to literature. She currently resides in South London with her husband, Simon Torrance, a management consultant, and their two children, Felix and Shumi.

Ali is known for her opposition to the British government’s attempt to introduce the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006, which she discusses in her essay contribution to Free Expression Is No Offence, a collection of essays published by Penguin in 2005.