William Hill has extended its coveted Sports Book of the Year competition to Australia by providing an AUS $20,000 (£10,000) prize for the winning author.
Held since 1989, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year is regarded as the UK’s top award for sports literature. Notable winners include Nick Hornby (Fever Pitch), Paul Kimmage (Rough Ride: An Insight into Pro Cycling) and Simon Kuper (Football against the Enemy).
Australian journalist and author Anna Krien became only the second woman to win the award, for her book ‘Night Games: Sex, Power and a Journey into the Dark Heart of Sport’, which detailed the sex crimes investigation brought against AFL Colingwood Australian Football Club.
This week William Hill governance announced that the operator would launch its first Australian Sports Book of the Year, with a view to recognise and reward Australian sports writers
The winning author will receive a prize of $20,000 with the remaining short-listed authors receiving a prize of $1,000.
The 2015 judging panel includes luminaries of Australian sport and writing such as Walkley Award winner Jacquelin Magnay, former sports editor of The Age Charlie Happell, international Rugby League player Ben Ikin, AFL 360 host and author of Black Caviar Gerard Whateley and legendary cricket writer for the Courier Mail Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock.
Nominations close on September 11 with a long list of 12 to be announced on September 2. The short list of five books will be revealed on October 13 with the winner announced at an awards ceremony on December 3.