Bobby Bains Ain’t Playing

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.

"Bobby Bains Ain't Playing tackles big themes through the lens of a thrilling football-themed story that’s filled with friendship, comradeship and a strong sense of community … Slickly-paced and written in a clear, engaging style, Bobby Bains Ain't Playing is especially notable for the way it shows an endearing boy character bravely do the right thing for his female friends, and for its seamless integration of Sikh culture, history and values into the story." —LoveReading4Kids