Monica Ali: Love Marriage

Monica Ali, author of four novels including the Booker Prize-shortlisted ‘Brick Lane’, is back with her first novel in a decade. ‘Love Marriage’ is a story about who we are and how we love in today’s Britain – with all the complications and contradictions of life, desire, marriage and family.

Yasmin Ghorami has a lot to be grateful for: a loving family, a fledgling career in medicine, and a charming, handsome fiancée, fellow doctor Joe Sangster. But as the wedding day draws closer and Yasmin’s parents get to know Joe’s firebrand feminist mother, both families must confront the unravelling of long-held secrets, lies and betrayals. Yasmin is forced to ask herself what she really wants in a relationship and what a ‘love marriage’ actually means.

The chairperson for this event will be Sarah Shaffi.

Monica Ali is an award-winning, bestselling writer whose work has been translated into twenty-six languages. Her debut novel, ‘Brick Lane’, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. She followed it up with a novel-in-stories, ‘Alentejo Blue, In the Kitchen’ and ‘Untold Story’. She has judged a number of literary prizes including as Chair of the Asian Man Booker. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications including the Guardian, The Times, the New Yorker and the New York Times. She is a Fellow of the RSA and of the Orwell Prize. She has taught creative writing at Columbia University, New York, and was, from 2015 to 2018, Distinguished Writer in Residence at the University of Surrey.

“Wildly entertaining ... Filled with people who are not just likeable, but loveable. This contract of sympathy, which flows between reader and characters, deepens and enriches the portrait of contemporary London that Ali creates with a confident Dickensian sweep.”
-Susie Boyt, Financial Times

“A truly astonishing piece of writing - exquisite storytelling, featuring the most human portrayal of doctors I've ever read. I defy you to put this book down.”
-Adam Kay

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The Shape of Things to Come, our forward-thinking Book Festival returns this autumn. Running from Friday 18 November to the following Sunday 27 November 2022, Folkestone Book Festival will present a celebration of writing, reading, thinking and debate.

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