Monica Ali was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and grew up in England. She is the author of i>Untold Story, In The Kitchen /i>andi> Alentejo Blue. /i>Her i>Sunday Times /i>bestselling first noveli> Brick Lane/i> was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the George Orwell Prize for political writing and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and has been made into an acclaimed film. Her latest novel i>Love Marriage/i> is published by Virago.