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William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award announced the esteemed panel of judges for the competition this year. Leading broadcaster Gabby Login will be joining the list.
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, established in 1989, recognizes outstanding writing from a variety of genres and sports writers around the world. It has earned its reputation as the most sought-after literary award for sports writers. Gabby will be joining Alyson, Dame Heather Rabbatts and Michelle Walder from the panel of last year, to select the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Shortlist and crown the Award’s 36 th Winner.
Gabby Logan , a former gymnast who is also a respected television and radio host, joins the panel as a first-time judge. Gabby Logan is a highly-experienced sports presenter who has covered a wide range of high-profile sporting events, including the Olympics, the World Cup and the European Championship. She also presented BBC Sports Personality of the year and the European Championship.
Alyson Rud, award winning sports journalist from The Times, will be leading the panel for the sixth consecutive year. Alyson Rudd, a sports journalist at The Times who has written two books and two novels and is also a qualified referee in football and possesses extensive experience on the field makes her the ideal candidate to lead the panel to find the best sports book for the year.
Dame Heather Rabbattsreturns to the panel for the second consecutive time and brings her expertise. She is renowned for being the first woman to be appointed Director of the Football Association. She has also been a catalyst in the sports industry. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the judging panel this year, thanks to her in-depth understanding of sports.
Michelle Walder is a non executive board member of Brighton and Hove Albion FC and the chairperson of their Women’s Team. She returns to her role as judge for the third year in a row. She has been running her own successful business since 2004 focusing on coaching and leadership. With extensive experience in sport, Michelle Walder brings a wealth of insight into the process of narrowing down the nominees to the final shortlist, and finally crowning this year’s winning candidate.
Mark Lawson , a journalist, broadcaster, and writer, joins the panel for this year. His expertise as a theatre and feature writer at The Guardian as well as a critic for The Tablet bolsters their strengths by adding a new dimension. Mark, who has six of his own books, expressed his admiration of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. He described being a sports judge as his greatest ambition.
Completing the lineup of judges is Clarke Carlisle, having transitioned from football to becoming a prominent broadcaster, his perspective as a former athlete-turned-commentator adds a distinctive angle to the judging panel. Clarke Carlisle has nearly 20 years of football experience across the four English professional divisions. He brings an in-depth understanding of this sport. His insights into the world of sport are invaluable to the selection process. He is a regular football commentator and pundit. Clarke was a judge for the first time in 2012 but temporarily stepped aside in 2013 to write his autobiography “A Footballer’s Life”, earning him a spot on the longlist of the Award in 2014.
The judges will reduce the longlist over the course of the month to a final list which will be revealed on the 31 stOctober. The winner will be announced at the official awards ceremony on 19 thNovember. The winner will also receive PS30,000 cash and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Trophy. All other shortlisted authors will get a leather bound copy of their book as well as PS3,000 cash.
Lee Phelps said, “We are delighted to announce that we have a number of familiar faces returning to the panel of judges for this year’s edition of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. This is the 36 th renewal of the prestigious literary award – and a brand new judge joining the lineup, Gabby Logan.
“We are thrilled to have Gabby join the panel. We know she will bring her extensive industry knowledge and sports expertise to bear when choosing which books to include on the shortlist, along with the other judges. Alyson Rud will be returning for the sixth consecutive year as the Chair of the Judging Panel to guide the judges through the entire process.
“Dame Heather Rabbatts has been confirmed to return as a judge. Mark Lawson, Clarke Carlisle, and Michelle Walder have also all been confirmed. The judging process is fascinating and rigorous. I was there last year. The six-strong jury will be working together to sort through the entries this year to narrow them down to a shortlist, and decide which book deserves the top prize at the Awards Ceremony later in the year.
Alyson Rud, chair of the judging committee, said: “I am as excited as ever to be returning as the Chair of the Judging for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in 2024. It is my sixth time as Chair of the panel, and I am excited to discover more about the sports book world. This competition is great because I am a sports journalist and I enjoy literary awards.
The Award celebrates storytelling. While sport is an enormous field, the entries are intimate and personal. To lead our diverse panel as we read out these exceptional stories is a great honour.
“I come back every year because I’m impressed with the improvement in standards.” We want to see writing that is good, that evokes emotion and can compete with other genres. “I keep coming back because the writing keeps getting better.”
