William Hill Australian Sports Book of the Year” nominee long-list

William Hill has announced its 12 long-list  nominations for its inaugural “William Hill Australian Sports Book of the Year ” award. The listed authors will now compete  for a AUS $20,000 prize which will announced on 13 October.

William Hill spokesman Tim Ashworth commented on the selection of finalists

“We received some wonderful nominations and the 12 books that made the Long List were truly exceptional. The judging panel will have a momentous task in finding just five books for the Short List, to be announced on October 13.
“An immensely large congratulation must also go out to every author who nominated and in particular, those whose work has made it through to the next stage.”

William Hill Australian Sports Book of the Year award announced long-list:-

• Roy Higgins – Patrick Bartley (Penguin)
• Eddie: The Rise and Rise of Eddie McGuire – Michael Bodey (Hachette)
• Whitewash To Whitewash – Daniel Brettig (Penguin)
• Time and Space – James Coventry (ABC Books)
• Pushing The Limits – Kurt Fearnley & Warwick Green (Penguin)
• The Short Long Book – Martin Flanagan (Random House)
• Sonny Ball – Paul Kent (MacMillan)
• The Straight Dope – Chip Le Grand (MUP)
• The Draftees – Emma Quayle (Penguin)
• A-League: The Inside Story of the Tumultuous First Decade – John Stensholt and Shaun Mooney (Nero)
• Aussie Grit – Mark Webber (MacMillan)
• Dangerous Games – Larry Writer (Allen + Unwin)

The judging panel includes such luminaries of Australian sport and writing like Walkley Award winner Jacquelin Magnay, former sports editor of The Age Charlie Happell, international Rugby League player and host of NRL360 Ben Ikin, AFL 360 host and author of Black Caviar Gerard Whateley and legendary cricket writer for the Courier Mail Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock.

In August William Hill announced the creation of the William Hill Australian Sports Book of the Year in July, providing a $20,000 prize to the author as judged by a respected panel of authors and writers.

Since 1989, William Hill in the United Kingdom have awarded the Sports Book of the Year and in the 25 years since winners like Nick Hornby, Lance Armstrong, John Feinstein and Marcus Trescothick have helped make it one of the most respected sports literary awards in the world.
Winner of the 2005 award Gary Imlach said “although it is a sports book prize, it has the prestige and the commercial clout to lift the winning book out of the sport section”.

Following the victory of Australian author Anna Krien in 2014 for her outstanding book ‘Night Games’, William Hill Australia has launched an award for the best Australian Sports Book.