Publishers to tell Hillsborough disaster victims' stories

Publishers Amberley, Faber & Faber and Ebury are bringing out titles on the Hillsborough disaster after justice prevailed for the victims and their families 27 years on. 

The jury reached a verdict of "unlawful killing" yesterday morning (25th April) for the 96 fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest which took place at Hillsborough Stadium. The jury said the police were guilty of serious failures before and after the event. Two criminal investigations are still ongoing into the incident, with one looking into allegations of a cover-up, according to the BBC.

Amberley announced today it will publish The Hillsborough Disaster: In Their Own Words on 23rd May, authored by Mike Nicholson. As well as including the findings of the fresh hearing ordered by the High Court, the book will also feature a foreword from the Hillsborough Family Support Group. It recalls the worst sporting disaster in British history, drawing on eyewitness accounts from before, during and after the disaster, with statements from the bereaved families, experts in their field and fans of other clubs. It is described as "the story of those who were there, and the families left behind". It will be priced £12.99. 

Faber & Faber is publishing And the Sun Shines Now: How Hillsborough and the Premier League changed Britain: an account of the relationship between football and State by Hillsborough survivor Adrian Tempany. Deconstructing the game over 25 years, it charts its changing place in the world from "the people’s game" to "an elite multi-million pound business" - and what has been lost in the process at the expense of "true fans". It features a chapter dealing with the inquest and verdict, and reflects on the Premier League in 2016 and the legacy of Hillsborough in the game. The book is Tempany's debut. It will be released on 2nd June, priced £14.99 in trade paperback origina, £9.99 as an e-book.

Ebury, meanwhile, is publishing Hillsborough Voices by Kevin Sampson. The book contains interviews, interweaving the voices of those who were there with the families and friends of those who died. It is fully endorsed and promoted by the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and will carry the official HJC logo. Its author Sampon is a fan who was there to witness the horror firsthand, and also organised the Hillsborough benefit concert at Anfield and has close connections with the justice campaign. A publication date it yet to be confirmed.

Following the verdicts yesterday, an Ebury Press spokesperson said: "This vindication has been a long time coming for all those involved in the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and Ebury hopes to have the incredible personal testimonies of that journey that make up Hillsborough Voices out as soon as we can. It is such a brave and moving and powerful book and I hope we can do the contributors justice."