Meera Syal OBE is one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile artists — actress, writer, comedian and playwright — whose work has fundamentally shaped the representation of British Asian life in British culture.
She is best known as a co-creator and star of Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42, two groundbreaking comedy series that put British Asian voices at the heart of mainstream British television for the first time.
As a writer, her novels Anita and Me and Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee have been acclaimed for their honest and funny portrayals of British Asian womanhood. She has also had a distinguished theatre career, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
Appointed an OBE in 1997 and a CBE in 2015, Meera Syal is a cultural institution in British life and an inspiration to generations of British Asian artists who followed in her footsteps.