SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

Judge A Book By Its Cover

William Hill’s Sports Book of the Year is back for a 35th year, with the 2023 winner due to be announced on Thursday, 30th November. This year we’re introducing a second award for the best book cover from our long list. There’s no panel needed for his award, though, it’s voted for by you! So, are you ready to judge a book by its cover?

Vote for your favourite cover

The 18 book covers from this year’s longlist can be seen below. All you need to do is scroll through and decide which one makes you think, ‘I want to read that’. Once you’ve made your choice, simply select your favourite and click ‘vote for this book’. We’ll announce the winner via @BookiePrize on Thursday, 30th November.

Western Lane

Chetna Maroo

Unfair Play: The Battle for Women’s Sports

Sharron Davies with Craig Lord

Unbreakable

Ronnie O'Sullivan

The Silence of the Stands: Finding the Joy in Football’s Lost Season

Daniel Gray

The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph

Oksana Masters

Nowhere to Run

Jonathan Sayer

1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour De France Obsession

Ned Boulting

Nazaré: Life and Death with the Big Wave Surfers

Matt Majendie

Kick the Latch

Kathryn Scanlan

Inshallah United: A Story of Faith & Football

Nooruddean Choudry

Good for a Girl: My Life Running in a Man’s World

Lauren Fleshman

The Tour: The Story of the England Cricket Team Overseas 1877-2023

Simon Wilde

Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth

Sam Peters

Hope & Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher’s Britain

Anthony Broxton

Answered Prayers: England and the 1966 World Cup

Duncan Hamilton

Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson

Sally H. Jacobs

On Days Like These – The Last Memoir of a Goalkeeper

Tim Rich

Tinseltown – Hollywood and the Beautiful Game: A Match Made in Wrexham

Ian Herbert

Further info on the SBOTY

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the world’s longest established and most-valuable literary sports-writing prize. Former winners include Michael Holding, Duncan Hamilton, David Goldblatt and Jeremy Wilson – who won in 2022 with his book Beryl: In Search of Britain’s Greatest Athlete.

An esteemed panel of judges

Comprising six highly respected individuals, the distinguished panel will be responsible for selecting the William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlist and ultimately crowning the Award’s 35th winner.

Alyson Rudd

An acclaimed award-winning sports journalist at The Times with a deep passion for the written word, a qualified football coach and referee, and author of two sports books and two novels.

Mark Lawson

An accomplished broadcaster, writer and journalist. Mark is a critic and feature writer for The Guardian and theatre critic of The Tablet, he was the first presenter of Radio 4's Front Row and has written six books.

Clark Carlisle

Former professional footballer-turned-broadcaster with a football career spanning two-decades and all four top flight divisions, and a regular ITV football pundit he brings a unique perspective as an athlete and commentator.

Dame Heather Rabbatts

Renowned for her groundbreaking accomplishments in the field of sports administration and broadcasting, giving her a profound understanding of the sports landscape, The first woman to hold the position of Director of the Football Association.

Elis James

A prominent sports podcaster and comedian, infusing humour and wit into his analysis. His ability to engage and entertain audiences will undoubtedly give a refreshing perspective to the panel.

Michelle Walder

Brighton and Hove Albion FC non-executive board member and chair of their Women's team, Michelle has a wealth of experience in the sporting industry, alongside running her own business specialising in leadership and coaching since 2004.