The Bookseller.com

20th July 2008

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Major vies with Charlton for sports award

01.10.07

Former prime minister John Major is in the running for the 2007 William Hill Sports Book of the Year after his cricket title, More Than A Game, was longlisted along with 14 other titles by the judges. Major joins former footballers Sir Bobby Charlton and Norman Whiteside on the longlist.

The longlist of 15 books was chosen from a record 110 entries. Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill and founder of the award, said: "We have a fantastically varied longlist featuring a former prime minister, a Vicar’s wife and the planet's favourite cricketer. Where, outside of a sit-com or soap opera could you ask for a better cast of characters!"

Sam Harrison, Waterstone's sports buyer, added: "Waterstone's is very happy to support what is one of the highlights of the awards calendar. Every year the William Hill Prize proves what great shape the genre is in - there is some excellent writing here that deserves to be read by as wide an audience as possible."

The judging panel for the 2007 William Hill Sports Book of the Year is: John Gaustad (chairman), Paul Hayward, Danny Kelly, John Inverdale, Hugh McIlvanney and Alyson Rudd


The longlisted books are:

Sir Bobby Charlton with James Lawton The Autobiography: My Manchester United Years Headline
Mark Collings A Very British Coop Macmillan
Kevin Cook Tommy’s Honour Harper
Tom Cox Bring Me the Head of Sergio Garcia Yellow Jersey
Chuck Culpepper Up Pompey Weidenfeld & Nicholson
Catherine Fox Fight The Good Fight Yellow Jersey
Duncan Hamilton Provided You Don’t Kiss Me 4th Estate
Mark Hodkinson Believe In The Sign Pomona
Mark Law The Pyjama Game Aurum
John Major More Than A Game Harper Press
Wayne McLennan Tent Boxing Granta
Richard Moore In Search of Robert Millar Harper
Nick Ward Left For Dead A & C Black
Norman Whiteside Determined: The Autobiography Headline
Simon Wilde Shane Warne: Portrait of a Flawed Genius John Murray

Founded 19 years ago, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award (in association with Waterstone's) is the world's longest established and richest sporting literary prize. The winner receives an £18,000 cash prize and a specially bound hand-bound copy of the winning book, in addition to a free £2,000 bet.

The provisional date for the 2007 shortlist, to be announced on BBC 5Live’s Simon Mayo programme, is 18th October. The winner will be announced on 26th November at Waterstone’s Piccadilly.

Prize William Hill Sports Book of the Year