THERE is a need for more books aimed at Asian and black children to encourage them to read said teenage novelist Bali Rai.

The author of popular teenage novels including (Un)arranged Marriage, The Last Taboo, The Crew and Rani and Sukh said a lack of novels with characters from diverse backgrounds was one of the reasons that has discouraged children from ethnic minority communities to pick up a book and read.

Bali is supporting this year's National Year of Reading - a year-long celebration of reading, in all its forms. It aims to increase awareness of the many values of reading – anything, anytime, anyplace – for children, families and adult learners alike. This year they are supporting the theme 'You are what you read,' and for this the campaign is celebrating multicultural writers like Bali who explore the idea of learning identity through reading and books.

Bali said the theme was important, as most teenagers want to read about characters and themes that they can relate to.

"I speak to children in schools through out the UK and one of the comments I have heard time and time again is that children from ethnic minority communities very rarely are able to relate to characters in the books that they read," he said.

"I have been told by Muslim girls for example that majority of teenage novels aimed at their age group where about white middle class girls. They want to read books that have Muslim girls as protagonists so that they can relate to it.

"Black teenagers says they want to read books about black teenagers.

"Not only is there a huge gap in the market for these books but also a huge gap of writers from diverse backgrounds that can fill this void. This is why I took up writing about issues and problems that I know teenagers can really relate to."

- Having grown up in the heart of Leicester’s multicultural Sikh community, Bali Rai went to London to study politics. After managing a bar and thinking about becoming a journalist, he now devotes all his time to writing and visiting schools to talk about his books.