Viking nets Billie Jean King's autobiography All In

Viking has netted Billie Jean King's "extraordinary" autobiography All In, the first time the tennis legend has told her story in full.

The book, released on 17th August 2021, will detail how her private journey to be what she calls her “authentic self” played out alongside her groundbreaking activism and a career that included seven years as the top-ranked woman in the world, a record 20 Wimbledon championships, 39 Grand Slam titles and her watershed victory over Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes.” King will also write about her ongoing commitment to equality and social justice at a time when many of the issues she fought for are being revisited again.

The publisher explained: “King faced endless challenges along the way—entrenched sexism, an eating disorder, near financial ruin after being outed [as gay]—and she shares how she became comfortable in her own skin at the age of 51. She reflects on her role as a champion for equality and the godmother of women’s sports. And she covers her participation in the rising women's movement, Title IX, the assassinations and anti-war protests of the 1960s, the civil rights movement, and, also, the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the impact these had on her life and her advocacy work. This is a timely book. King’s life today remains one of service, and in All In she draws on her frontline experiences to offer contemporized insights on leadership, business, activism, sports, politics, marriage equality, parenting, sexuality, and love.”

She writes in the book: “Early on, what was most apparent to me was that the world I wanted didn’t exist yet. It would be up to my generation to create it.”

Daniel Crewe, publishing director at Viking Non-Fiction, bought UK rights for the autobiography from Knopf, which is publishing it simultaneously in the US.

He said: “Billie Jean King is an extraordinary woman and this is her extraordinary and inspirational story. She changed the world through her vision and her tenacity, and her book has insights for all of us—above all on what it means to struggle and on what it takes to win.”