William Hill Sports Book of the Year
{{Short description|Annual British sports literary award}}
{{for|the Irish literary award|William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox award
| name = William Hill Sports Book of the Year
| image = William Hill Sports Book of the Year (logo).jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| awarded_for =
| sponsor =William Hill
| host = William Hill
| location =
| presenter =
| reward = £30,000
| date =
| country = United Kingdom
| year = 1989
| website = https://news.williamhill.com/sport/sports-book-of-the-year/
}}
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year is an annual British sports writing award sponsored by bookmaker William Hill.{{Cite book | first = Neal|last = Wyatt | title = The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction| publisher = ALA Editions| year= 2007| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=b3WBGnqR-2kC&pg=PA118| page= 118}} It was first presented in 1989, and was conceived by Graham Sharpe of William Hill, and John Gaustad, founder of the Sports Pages bookshop.{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/john-gaustad-dies-333156 |title=William Hill Sports Award founder Gaustad dies |work=The Bookseller |author=Natasha Onwuemezi |date=8 June 2016 |accessdate=20 September 2021}} As of 2020, the remuneration is £30,000, and a leather-bound copy of their book.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-27|title=William Hill Sports Book Of The Year|url=https://news.williamhill.com/sport/sports-book-of-the-year/|access-date=2021-01-04|website=William Hill Sports Book Of The Year : William Hill News|language=en-GB}} Each of the shortlisted authors receives £3,000.
Commenting on the prize, the 2005 winner 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".{{Cite web | url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5205160.ece | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110615193304/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article5205160.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 June 2011 |title =William Hill Sports Book of the Year | work = The Times | date = 21 November 2012 | access-date = 26 December 2012}}{{subscription required}}
As of 2020, the judging panel is chaired by Alyson Rudd and includes 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.
History
Paul Kimmage was the first author to win both the Irish (2011) and International awards (1990).{{cite web|url=http://www.thescore.ie/engage-takes-top-irish-sports-book-award-for-hampson-and-kimmage-300069-Dec2011/ |title=‘Engage’ takes top Irish sports book award for Hampson and Kimmage |work=The Score |author=Staff writer |author-link=Staff writer |date=12 August 2011 |access-date=26 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019052228/http://www.thescore.ie/engage-takes-top-irish-sports-book-award-for-hampson-and-kimmage-300069-Dec2011/ |archive-date=19 October 2013 }}
In 2010, Duncan Hamilton, a winner twice in the previous three years, was again included in the shortlist,{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/other-bodies/rugby-writers/from-agassi-to-nazi-via-gonzo-book-prizes-mixed-bag/ |title=From Agassi to Nazi, via "gonzo": prize’s mixed bag « Sports Journalists' Association |publisher=Sportsjournalists.co.uk |access-date=28 November 2011}} although on this occasion, when the award was announced on 30 November in London, the prize was won by Brian Moore, the former England rugby union international, for his autobiography, Beware of the Dog.{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/other-bodies/rugby-writers/moores-raw-autobiography-takes-bookies-prize/ |title=Moore’s raw autobiography takes Bookies’ Prize |publisher=Sportsjournalists.co.uk |date=1 December 2010 |access-date=28 November 2011}}
In 2011, there was a "surprise inclusion" to the shortlist of Engage: The Fall and Rise of Matt Hampson,{{Cite web | url = http://www.thebookseller.com/news/kimmage-surprise-entry-william-hill-shortlist.html | title = Kimmage surprise entry on William Hill shortlist | publisher = The Bookseller | access-date = 26 December 2012 | first = Graeme | last = Neill | date = 31 October 2011}} a biography of quadriplegic Matt Hampson, by 1990 winner Paul Kimmage, despite it not being included on the longlist.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/nov/28/william-hill-sports-book-year-winner | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award winner to be announced | date=28 November 2011}} The shortlist also included a book on bullfighting, Into The Arena: The World of the Spanish Bullfight by Alexander Fiske-Harrison, despite journalists including Fiske-Harrison himself arguing that bullfighting was not a sport, leading to the employment of security for the first time at the ceremony at Waterstones of Piccadilly.{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8916880/To-the-Spanish-bullfighting-is-much-more-than-a-sport.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Alexander | last=Fiske-Harrison | title=To the Spanish bullfighting is much more than a sport | date=25 November 2011}} In the end the prize went to A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke, about Robert Enke who committed suicide, by Ronald Reng.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
Duncan Hamilton is the only author to have won the award three times, first in 2007, second in 2009 and most recently in 2019.{{Cite web|date=2019-12-05|title=Duncan Hamilton wins William Hill Sports Book of the Year for third time|url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/dec/05/duncan-hamilton-wins-william-hill-sports-book-year-2019-third-time-neville-cardus-cricket|access-date=2021-01-04|website=the Guardian|language=en}} Boxing author Donald McRae has twice won the award, in 1996 and 2002.{{Cite web|title=Two-time winners Mcrae and Hamilton on William Hill Sports Book of the Year longlist {{!}} The Bookseller|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/two-time-winners-mcrae-and-hamilton-william-hill-sports-book-year-longlist-1086321|access-date=2021-01-04|website=www.thebookseller.com}}
Lauren Fleshman's book Good for a Girl became in 2023 the first book written by a woman and about women's sports to win.🖉{{Cite web|url=https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/lauren-fleshman-wins-william-hill-sports-book-of-the-year-prize-1039973525/|title=Lauren Fleshman wins William Hill sports book of the year prize|first=Jason|last=Henderson|date=30 November 2023}}