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Number of women longlisted for The William Hill Sports Book of the Year doubles
An 18-strong longlist for the 35th William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award has been revealed, with professional snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan and three-time winner of the award Duncan Hamilton in contention. Six female authors made this year’s cut, doubling the number from 2022.
The longlist was selected from more than 150 entries following a judging process by a panel including the Athletic’s Nancy Froston, sports presenter Matt Williams and William Hill’s Neil Foggin.
O’Sullivan is longlisted for Unbreakable (Seven Dials), Hamilton for Answered Prayers: England and the 1966 World Cup (riverrun), and Sharron Davies, with Craig Lord, for Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport (Forum).
Lauren Fleshman is longlisted for Good for a Girl: My Life Running in a Man’s World (Virago) and Sally H Jacobs’ Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson (St Martin’s Press) is also in the running. Western Lane by Chetna Maroo (Picador) – shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize – is also longlisted alongside Kathryn Scanlan for Kick The Latch (Daunt Books).
Books by Ned Boultin, Anthony Broxton, Nooruddean Choudry, Daniel Gray, Ian Herbert, Natt Majkendie, Oksana Masters, Sam Peters, Tim Rich, Jonathan Sayer and Simon Wilde are also longlisted.
Award panellist and renowned sports broadcaster, Matt Williams said: “This year’s longlist showcases the diversity of sports and the many ways in which they inspire, entertain, and unite communities. We received an unprecedented number of outstanding entries from talented authors this year, including a high volume of contributions from both female authors and international writers. Whittling these down was no small feat, resulting in an historic moment for the Awards as we reveal a list of 18 longlisted books, which encompasses fiction and non-fiction.”
He continued that the “remarkable” titles explore “the depths of sportsmanship, triumphs and challenges across the sporting industry including sexism, and the devastating effects that head injuries have on sportspeople.
“All the longlisted books not only have a great story to tell but their writing captivates the reader and is the best in sporting literature,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed reading so many inspirational books from the most talented of authors and I’m excited to see which of the 18 books comes out on top.”
The shortlist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023 Award will be unveiled on 26th October, with the winner declared on 30th November 2023 at an official award ceremony at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, London.
The award has a £30,000 cash prize for the winner and the shortlisted authors will each receive £3,000 and a leather-bound copy of their book.
The full longlist can be found below:
- 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession by Ned Boulting (Bloomsbury Sport)
- Hope and Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher’s Britain by Anthony Broxton (Pitch Publishing)
- Inshallah United: A Story of Faith and Football by Nooruddean Choudry (HarperNorth)
- Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sport by Sharron Davies with Craig Lord (Forum)
- Good for a Girl: My Life Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman (Virago)
- The Silence of the Stands: Finding the Joy in Football’s Lost Season by Daniel Gray (Bloomsbury Sport)
- Answered Prayers: England and the 1966 World Cup by Duncan Hamilton (riverrun)
- Tinseltown: Hollywood and the Beautiful Game – a Match Made in Wrexham by Ian Herbert (Headline)
- Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs (St Martin’s Press)
- Nazaré: Life and Death with the Big Wave Surfers by Matt Majendie (Welbeck)
- Western Lane by Chetna Maroo (Picador)
- The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph by Oksana Masters (Scribner UK)
- Unbreakable by Ronnie O’Sullivan (Seven Dials)
- Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth by Sam Peters (Allen & Unwin)
- On Days Like These: The Lost Memoir of a Goalkeeper by Tim Rich (Quercus)
- Nowhere to Run: The Ridiculous Life of a Semi-Professional Football Club Chairman by Jonathan Sayer (Bantam)
- Kick The Latch by Kathryn Scanlan (Daunt Books)
- The Tour: The Story of the England Cricket Team Overseas 1877-2023 by Simon Wilde (Simon & Schuster UK)
