Among his best-known works are Dongola and Poor, both of which have been published in English by the AUC Press, in translations by Peter Theroux and Elliot Colla respectively.
Idris Ali's work dealt largely with life in his native Nubia.
He was a strong voice against the poverty and deprivation suffered by the Nubian people, and he protested against the loss of native land caused by the building of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s and 70s.
He worked for a construction company for low wages when the income from his writings proved to be insufficient.
He also suffered the loss of his son which led to multiple suicide attempts in his later years.