Bali Rai is a leading voice in UK teen and children’s fiction, writing over fifty books since 2001, and winning multiple awards.

Born in Leicester, his writing is inspired by his working-class, multicultural background. A passionate advocate of libraries, reading for pleasure and promoting literacy, he has over twenty years of experience in working with young people across the UK and further afield.

Bali has worked closely with The Reading Agency, Booktrust, The National Literacy Trust, Empathy Lab UK and many other organisations, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by De Montfort University in 2014.

He also featured on BBC1’s Rebel Writers and is an ambassador/patron for several high-profile literacy and arts projects such as Listening Books.

Now or Never (A Dunkirk Story) was shortlisted for 2020 Little Rebels award, and is available alongside Mohinder’s War and The Royal Rebel.

A former Costa Book Awards judge, Bali’s latest project for the BBC and Penguin arrives in 2023.

Bali Rai has featured in many events and workshops for the DESIblitz Literature Festival.

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