Ranj Dhaliwal
Novelist
A Canadian author of Indian descent, he is best known for his 2006 novel, Daaku, and its sequel, Daaku: The Gangster's Life (2011). Also a prominent community activist, he became an advocate for at-risk youth in his native British Columbia.
He grew up in Surrey, British Columbia in the 1980s, surrounded by discrimination and racism. He published his popular debut novel, Daaku, in 2006.
In 2008, he was elected to lead a highly-contested Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
He was born in Vancouver and raised in Surrey Central. He and his wife later became parents to three sons.
He and Dianne Watts are both from Surrey, British Columbia.