SIX authors have been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award – including Warrington-born former British swimmer Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell.
Ajulu-Bushell, a former British swimming champion, has been shortlisted for her book “These Heavy Black Bones”, which tells the story of the Warrington girl, who became the first black woman to swim for Great Britain.
These Heavy Black Bones is one of three books written by female authors to make the final selection ahead of the 36th awards, along with double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes’ memoir Unique.
The other female-penned title is My Beautiful Sisters by Afghanistan women’s football team co-founder and captain Khalida Popal, which highlights her courageous work uncovering sexual abuse in Afghan football as a refugee in Europe, against the backdrop of the recapture of Kabul by the Taliban in August 2021.
In a diverse selection of titles, David Peace’s Munichs – the history of Manchester United in the years following the 1958 Munich air crash – and former Irish professional tennis player Conor Niland’s memoir The Racket are also shortlisted.
Rounding off the final six contenders is When I Passed The Statue Of Liberty I Became Black by Harry Edward, a posthumous publication of the memoir of Britain’s first Black Olympic medal winner, who lived on both sides of the Atlantic during the civil rights movement in the mid-20th century.
The winner will be decided by the seven-person judging panel of Alyson Rudd, Clarke Carlisle, Gabby Logan, Dame Heather Rabbatts, Mark Lawson and Michelle Walder and announced at the awards ceremony in London on Tuesday November 19, with the prestigious trophy and £30,000 presented to the winner.
Alyson Rudd, chair of the judging panel, said: “Selecting six titles to make this year’s William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award shortlist was no mean feat, from a longlist of 17 fantastic books.
“But we are delighted to announce the entries that have impressed us most, with their diverse range of perspectives exhibiting the very best of sports writing.
“We believe the final six achieve the perfect blend of making individual stories resonate with a wide audience, whether that be across athletics, football, swimming or tennis.
“These books tackle important topics such as sexual identity and race relations to go above and beyond the boundaries of their respective sports.“
