Bali Rai, a Pisces born in England on March 1, 1971, has been a literary phenomenon since his 2001 debut novel, (Un)arranged Marriage, which took the literary world by storm. It was met with a flurry of awards, including the Angus Book Award and the Stockport Schools Book Award. Rai has continued to make waves in the literary world, having published several more acclaimed books, including The Crew. He also speaks at numerous schools across the country, inspiring young readers to pick up a book.