Onjali Q. Raúf

Onjali Q. Raúf is a British author of children's fiction. She writes stories that address social issues for young readers. She is best known for her debut novel The Boy at the Back of the Class, which won the 2019 Waterstones Children's Book Prize.

Raúf was born in Newcastle and raised in London in a British-Bangladeshi family. She experienced racism during her childhood in Britain. Reflecting on this, she said, "I wondered: why is there no one who looks like me in the books?"

Before becoming a published author, Raúf founded two organisations. Making Herstory tackles the abuse and trafficking of women. The O's Refugee Aid Team supports frontline organisations providing aid to refugees. She has personally delivered emergency aid convoys to Calais and Dunkirk.

Her experience in the refugee camps shaped her first novel. In a Calais camp, she met a Syrian mother and baby. Their story inspired her debut book. Orion Children's Books published The Boy at the Back of the Class in 2018.

The novel portrays the refugee crisis from a child's perspective. It follows a new pupil who arrives at a British school. Gradually, his classmates piece together his story of displacement. Following its release, the book became a Sunday Times bestseller.

In 2019, The Boy at the Back of the Class won the Blue Peter Book Award. It won the Best Story award that same year. It was also the overall winner of the 2019 Waterstones Children's Book Prize. The book was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

The novel was later adapted for the stage. In 2023, Nick Ahad adapted it into a play. It was produced by the Rose Theatre in partnership with the Children's Theatre. In 2026, the stage adaptation won the Olivier Award for Best Family Show.

Raúf published more novels that addressed difficult subjects for children. The Star Outside My Window, which addresses domestic violence, was published in 2019. It was shortlisted for the 2020 British Book Awards. This was followed by The Lion Above the Door, which explores historical racism.

This novel was inspired by the story of Tan Kay Hai. He was a Singaporean flying ace who served in the Second World War. To research him, Raúf travelled to Singapore and various RAF bases. She eventually located his grave and met his surviving family.

In 2019, Onjali Q. Raúf was named on the BBC 100 Women list. She has also written for The Guardian and BBC Radio 2. In 2022, she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to literature. This honour also recognised her work in promoting women's rights.

Photo credit: www.onjaliqrauf.org