Venessa Taylor brings two decades of experience as an inner-city primary school teacher and assistant headteacher to the creation of the Baller Boys series. Aimed at encouraging young boys to find pleasure in reading, the football-themed stories are written with young readers in mind. Born and raised in London, Venessa continues her legacy as a literacy lead in schools, through her creative writing. One of her proudest career achievements was raising the standards of reading, literary engagement and attainment across the school with a focus of engaging boys and reluctant readers.