Delving beneath the surface: An interview with Monica Ali

Abstract

ABSTRACT Monica Ali is widely recognized as a trailblazer for writers of Bangladeshi origin in English. She published her bestselling debut novel Brick Lane in 2003 and went on to write three more works of fiction: Alentejo Blue (2006), In the Kitchen (2009), and Untold Story (2011). In this interview conducted in autumn 2021, she discusses her recent novel, Love Marriage, which depicts two families from different backgrounds in contemporary Britain: Bengali Indian Muslim and white Christian British. Other topics include Monica Ali’s writing process, why she writes, the experience of her dual heritage, her thoughts on feminism, and her exploration of class and race in today’s multicultural Britain. This was Ali’s first interview after writing Love Marriage, which hit the book stands a few months later in February 2022. The novel has been well reviewed and critically acclaimed and looks set to have the popular appeal of her classic novel, Brick Lane.