Born in London, England; educated at the University of London (philosophy). It was theatre that launched Kureishi; his early plays The Mother Country and Borderline are well worth seeing. Critically acclaimed for The Buddha of Suburbia (which won a Whitbread), The Black Album, which tackled slamic fundamentalism and the sense of belonging among young British Asians, was less polished but more ambitious. (Kureishi wrote it as a response to the Satanic Verses affair, to find out "why they wanted to kill my friend".) His recent work has concentrated on the personal, with Intimacy and Love in a Blue Time focusing on mid-life male selfishness and the 1999 play Sleep With Me exploring the incestuous emotional lives of a group of friends. The perceived closeness of Intimacy to his life, and its uncomfortable subject matter - a bored father and husband turns his back on his family - lost him many cred points, while critics also complained that his brisk, vibrant style was descending into sketchy caricature. Other notable screen credits include SAMMY AND ROSIE GET LAID (1987), LONDON KILLS ME (1991), MY SON, THE FANATIC (1997, also novel), MAUVAISE PASSE / THE ESCORT (1999), INTIMACY (2000), THE MOTHER (2002), VENUS (2006), and WEDDINGS AND BEHEADINGS (2007).  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay written directly for the screen 1986: MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE 1 nomination