William Hill has announced the fourteen contenders which will make up the long list for its 31st ‘Sports Book of the Year Award’ (SBOTY2019). The award, considered to be the bookmaker’s legacy competition, is regarded as the most prestigious prize in English sports literature.
This year’s longlist has been whittled down from 151 submissions and sees acclaimed SBOTY past winners such as Donald McRae and Duncan Hamilton compete for William Hill’s £30,000 cash prize and the accolade of winning the prestigious literary prize.
Keeping up with traditions, William Hill judges have selected an eclectic range of titles, which include novels, autobiographies, personal diaries and exposes covering a wide range of sporting and cultural dynamics.
The SBOTY2019 judging panel will be led by The Times football journalist and author Alyson Rudd, who commented on the longlist publication.
“This award has, over three decades, changed the face of sports publishing,” she said. “Writing quality has improved and the themes tackled by authors have evolved so that many of the titles submitted are not just entertaining but important. This year’s wide-ranging 14 strong longlist from a record 151 submissions demonstrates this continuing trend in the 31st year of the Award.”
SBOTY2019’s judging panel consists of: retired professional footballer and former chairman of the Professional Footballer’s Association, Clarke Carlisle; five-time Olympic medallist and rower Dame Katherine Grainger; broadcaster and writer John Inverdale; broadcaster Danny Kelly and journalist and broadcaster Mark Lawson. Chair of Judges is author and journalist Alyson Rudd.
William Hill is set to announce its SBOTY2019 shortlist on 22nd October 2019. The winner will be announced at an afternoon reception at The Royal Horseguards Hotel on Thursday 5th December.
William Hill ‘Sports Book of the Year 2019’ Longlist…
- ‘They Don’t Teach This’: Lessons from the Game of Life by Eniola Aluko (Yellow Jersey)
- ‘Unbreakable’: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World’s Most Dangerous Horse Race by Richard Askwith (Penguin Random House)
- ‘No Win Race’: A Story of Belonging, Britishness and Sport by Derek A Bardowell (Harper Collins)
- ‘Rise of the Ultra Runners’: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance by Adharanand Finn (Faber & Faber)
- ‘Homing’ by Jon Day (John Murray)
- ‘The Great Romantic’: Cricket and the Golden Age of Neville Cardus by Duncan Hamilton (Hodder & Stoughton)
- ‘Fighter – Andy Lee’ written by Niall Kelly (Gill Books)
- ‘In Sunshine or in Shadow’: How Boxing Brought Hope in the Troubles by Donald McRae (Simon & Schuster)
- ‘The Beast, The Emperor and The Milkman’: A Bone-shaking Tour through Cycling’s Flemish Heartlands by Harry Pearson (Bloomsbury)
- ‘Rough Magic: Riding the World’s Wildest Horse Race’ by Lara Prior-Palmer (Penguin Random House)
- ‘Commander in Cheat’: How Golf Explains Trump by Rick Reilly (Headline Publishing Group)
- ‘How Football (Nearly) Came Home’: Adventures in Putin’s Russia by Barney Ronay (Harper Collins)
- ‘Recovering’ by Richie Sadlier (Gill Books)
- ‘Position of Trust’: A Football Dream Betrayed by Andy Woodward (Hodder & Stoughton)