“I found I was smiling. By half-time, I realised that I felt stronger vicariously just by watching them play.”

Fresh off the back of the Lionesses’ win at the weekend, The Book Fairies have been celebrating by sharing copies of Pitch Invasion by Karen Dobres! Lewes Football Club was featured as it directly inspired the book.

Who was lucky enough to spot one?

About the book:

Karen Dobres never expected to fall for football – let alone help revolutionise it.

In Pitch Invasion, Karen shares her hilarious and heartfelt journey from someone who ‘always zoned out when bloody football was on the telly’ to becoming a Director at Lewes FC – the first football club in the world to pay its women and men players equally.

In 1994, Karen could barely sit through a match at Wembley. Fast forward to 2023, and she’s introducing multi-million-pound deals for the women’s team of her local club. How does a trained counsellor and former catwalk model end up navigating the male-dominated world of football? And how did she turn her ‘imposter syndrome’ into a tool for change?

With bisexual pirates, vegan snacks, and even a designated breastfeeding area, Lewes FC is no ordinary football club. It’s a pioneering force for equity, inclusion, and innovation. Through Karen’s witty, self-deprecating storytelling, Pitch Invasion gives readers an insider’s view of the quirky yet revolutionary culture at Lewes FC. From organising Suffragette flash mobs to introducing Prosecco on tap at the stadium, Karen brings to life her experiences at this fan-owned, debt-free, gender-equal club where everyone – from local supporters to pop stars – helps shape the future of the game.

Book finders

We love hearing from those lucky people who find the books we leave behind – this is our favourite from today!

Order a copy yourself!

This book is available NOW from all good bookshops! If you prefer to order your books online, choose Bookshop.org to order Pitch Perfect and support independent bookshops all around the UK!

Become a book fairy today!

If this activity has inspired YOU to become a book fairy, you absolutely can! Just order your first set of book fairy stickers here to get started with hiding your own books. It’s a great way to make space for new books to come into your life!