Bobby Bains Plays a Blinder

Bali Rai was born in Leicester where he grew up in a multicultural community dreaming of playing football for Liverpool FC, being Bob Marley or becoming a writer. He writes the books he would have enjoyed as a teenager and his book Rani and Sukh is a set-text for GCSE English. His novel, Killing Honour, won the North East Teenage Book Award, and was described as “utterly compelling” by The Bookseller.

"This heart-warming story of kindness and community is a delight … Bali Rai expertly touches on poverty and on the principles Sikhs live by, interweaving these themes and observations into a contemporary, engaging story. Daniel Duncan’s black-and-white illustrations are full of expression and recognisable details." – BookTrust"Positive and rarely seen representation of a Sikh protagonist and family, and the focus of this book is all about intergenerational friendship, community activism and the power of football to bring not only individuals but communities together." — CLPE"This book is about football but in the most part, it is about kindness, friendship, loneliness, the important work of food banks and a sense of community." – Bentley Heath PS Book ClubA beautiful exploration of the power of football and its ability to bring people together." – Father Teacher Reader"The power of football is explored in the most beautiful way, alongside the importance of showing kindness to others and combatting loneliness – especially in the older generation – in a story that is both heartwarming and deeply thought-provoking … an inclusive and an incredibly important read for those in Year 4 upwards." – Mrs Sydney's Famous World's Smallest Library