W&N bets on Clee's 'colourful' tour of Britain and Ireland's racecourses

Weidenfeld & Nicolson (W&N) has acquired a “humorous and informative” journey through Britain and Ireland’s racecourses by former Bookseller editor Nicholas Clee. 

World rights in all languages were acquired by former non-fiction publisher Alan Samson from Ros Edwards at Edwards Fuglewicz Literary Agency. Editor Kate Moreton will publish. Courses for Horses will be published in hardback and e-book on 25th May.

The synopsis reads: “In parks, on downlands and heaths, by motorways, overlooking firths: the racecourses of Britain and Ireland are as various as the people you meet there. Some—Newmarket, Epsom, the Curragh—are rich in history and among the most celebrated sporting venues in the world; others—Fakenham, Bangor-on-Dee, Perth—offer more modest but no less enjoyable spectacles. 

“Journeying round these courses, Nicholas Clee meets the people who bring them to life: from those in the spotlight, including a Grand National-winning jockey, Derby-winning owner and top TV commentator; to many others with key roles in the sport—bookmakers, form experts, racecourse managers and more. From them, he learns about the bravery, dedication, skill and expertise that make racing one of our most popular spectator sports. Written with a keen eye, gentle humour and a deep love of racing, Courses for Horses take us behind the scenes at that grand outing: a day at the races.”

Moreton said: “Horse racing is one of the UK’s most popular sports, and this book will be a joy for both aficionados and casual racegoers. Marrying reportage and a remarkable depth of knowledge with humour and insight, Nicholas takes us on a highly colourful journey and what a delightful ride it is.”

Clee added: “Working on this book has been a treat. It has given me licence to spend many happy hours on a variety of racecourses and to call it work, and to approach racing people and ask them to tell me about their lives. I have been lucky: they have been friendly, patient and—the writer’s dream—candid, offering me privileged insights into this thrilling sport.”

Clee is joint editor of BookBrunch. Previously, he was editor of The Bookseller and has written about books for the Times, Guardian, Observer and Times Literary Supplement. He has been a judge of the Booker Prize, Encore Award, Granta Best of Young British Novelists, and Crime Writers’ Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. He is the author of a number of books, including Eclipse: The Story of the Rogue, the Madam and the Horse That Changed Racing (Bantam) which was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2009 and won Best New Writer at the Sports Book Awards.