Ex-professional runner Fleshman wins £30k William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award

Ex-professional runner Lauren Fleshman has won the £30,000 William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023 award for Good For A Girl (Virago). 

In the prize’s 35-year history, Good For A Girl marks the first women’s memoir to receive the prize. The winner was announced at an official ceremony on 30th November, held at BAFTA in London.

The US champion’s book is part memoir, part manifesto, and highlights the challenges faced by women runners. The synopsis adds: "Drawing not only on her own story, but also on emerging research on the physiology and psychology of young athletes, Fleshman gives voice to the often-silent experience of the female athlete and argues that the time has come to rebuild our systems of competitive sport to allow women to perform at their best."

A panel of independent judges from the world of sports and journalism, chaired by author and journalist Alyson Rudd, reviewed more than 150 entries before selecting the winning book, which they praised for its “heartfelt narrative” and “compelling writing”. 

Receiving the award, Fleshman said: “Having a woman being elevated for telling her own story is rare, and we need a lot more of that. That’s why awards like this are so important."

Rudd added: “We had such an exceptionally high-quality shortlist this year, and selecting a winner was no small feat. For the first time, women’s books dominated, showing that more women are being commissioned to tell their stories, with many bravely tackling challenges within the sporting world.   

“Good for a Girl is not only a must-read book on the challenges that women face in sport but a moving and informative memoir that will grip those who are not athletics fans. Lauren Fleshman exposes and shatters myths with disarming honesty and exceptional writing—it is a wonderful read and thoroughly deserving of the title William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2023."

The five authors on the shortlist, alongside Fleshman, receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book. Moreover, entry to the 36th William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is now open.