The 2023 Sports Book Awards, in association with The Sunday Times, announces eleven category shortlists today. The awards exist to highlight the most outstanding sports books of the previous calendar year to showcase their merits and enhance their reputation and profile.

Gary Lineker, Gary Neville, Sue Barker, Alex Scott, Peter Crouch, Gabby Logan, Micah Richards, Steve Thompson, Marcus Rashford, Barry Hearn and Sports Personality of the Year Winner, Beth Mead, are among those nominated for the 2023 Sports Book Awards.

New for this year is the award for New Women’s Sports Writing, which will be named in honour of Vikki Orvice – a brilliant sports journalist who did so much to champion female sports writing.

When commenting on her nomination, Sports Personality of the Year Winner Beth Mead said: ‘I’d like to thank my team at Orion Books for their help and support in bringing this book to life.’ 

The Sports Book Awards are judged by an outstanding academy including The Football Writers’ Association, The Rugby Union Writers’ Club, The Cricket Society, National Literacy Trust, Christine Ohuruogu, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Mark Pougatch, Annie Vernon, Simon Halliday, Jill Douglas and Simon Brotherton.

In addition, a public vote is now open to find the winners in two categories, Autobiography of the Year and Sports Entertainment Book of the Year, at https://sportsbookawards.com/vote/

The 2023 Sports Book Awards in association with The Sunday Times shortlists in full:

The Sunday Times Autobiography of the Year

Calling the Shots by Sue Barker 

On Days Like These: My Life in Football by Martin O'Neill

How (Not) To be Strong by Alex Scott 

Boleyn Boy by Mark Noble 

Lioness by Beth Mead 

Barry Hearn: My Life by Barry Hearn 

The First Half by Gabby Logan 

Dear John by John Lloyd with Phil Jones 

The Children’s Sports Book Prize sponsored by The JP Marland Charitable Trust, in association with the National Literacy Trust

Strong and Tough by Rico Hinson-King (Author) and Nick Sharratt (Illustrator) 

You Can Do It by Marcus Rashford and Carl Anka

Planet Football by Michelle Robinson (Author) and Chris Mould (Illustrator) 

50 Times Football Changed the World by Gary Lineker, Ivor Baddiel and Erica Salcedo (Illustrator)

The Legend of Sparkhill by Moeen Ali and Tanya Aldred 

Ultimate Cricket Superstars by Matt Oldfield and Tanya Aldred 

All to Play For by Eve Ainsworth (Author) and Kirsti Beautyman (Illustrator) 

The Funny Life of Football by James Campbell (Author) and Rob Jones (Illustrator)

The Heartaches Cricket Book of the Year

Being Geoffrey Boycott by Geoffrey Boycott and Jon Hotten 

Elephant in the Stadium by Arunabha Sengupta 

Crickonomics by Stefan Szymanski and Tim Wigmore

An Island's Eleven: The Story of Sri Lankan Cricket by Nicholas Brookes 

Different Class: The Untold Story of English Cricket by Duncan Stone 

Unveiling Jazbaa: A History of Pakistan Women’s Cricket by Aayush Puthran and Kamila Shamsie

Cycling Book of the Year

Chased By Pandas by Dan Martin 

Beryl: In Search of Britain's Greatest Athlete by Jeremy Wilson 

Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle by Jody Rosen 

Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was by Daniel Friebe 

The Break: Life as a Cycling Maverick by Steve Cummings 

Climbers: How the Kings of the Mountains Conquered Cycling by Peter Cossins 

Socios.com Sports Entertainment Book of the Year

How to be an Ex-Footballer by Peter Crouch 

Cheers, Geoff!: Tales from the Touchline by Geoff Shreeves 

How to Be a Footballer Manager by Ian Holloway 

BBC Sports Report by Pat Murphy 

The Wood Life: A Not so Helpful How-To Guide on Surviving Cricket, Life and Everything in Between by Mark Wood

The Game by Micah Richards

Square Peg, Round Ball by Ned Boulting 

Touching the Heights by Archie Macpherson 

Geoff Neal Football Book of the Year, in association with the Football Writers' Association

1999: Manchester United, the Treble and All That by Matt Dickinson

England Football: The Biography by Paul Hayward

The Silence of the Stands by Daniel Gray 

‘Unsuitable For Females’, The Rise of the Lionesses and Women's Football in England by Carrie Dunn

Scheisse! We’re Going Up! by Kit Holden 

Brazil 1970 by Samindra Kunti 

Two Brothers by Jonathan Wilson 

Expected Goals by Rory Smith 

The Vikki Orvice Award for New Women’s Sports Writing

A Delicate Game by Hana Walker-Brown 

The Year Of The Robin by Jen Offord 

Flares Up by Niamh McAnally 

Between Overs by Michéle Savidge  

A Woman's Game: The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Women's Football by Suzanne Wrack 

The Power of Belief by Beth Shriever and Sarah Juggins

Rathbones Illustrated Book of the Year

Football Murals by Andy Brassell 

Three Lions On A Shirt by Simon Shakeshaft, Daren Burney and Neville Evans

Old Liverpool FC In Colour by Mark Platt and George Chilvers 

Remarkable Football Grounds by Ryan Herman

Heart of Midlothian, 51 Shirts by Grant Young 

81 - The Year That Changed Our Lives by Steve Perryman and Julie Welch 

The Times World Cup Moments by Henry Winter (Foreword) and Richard Whitehead

The Cup by Richard Whitehead 

The LoveReading International Sports Book of the Year

The Roger Federer Effect by Simon Cambers and Simon Graf 

Adrenaline by Zlatan Ibrahimovic 

So Help Me Golf: Why We Love the Game by Rick Reilly 

Warrior by Tris Dixon

Intensity: Inside Liverpool FC by Pep Lijnders with James Carroll 

Pulisic: My Journey So Far by Christian Pulisic with Daniel Melamud 

Francis Clark Rugby Book of the Year, in association with the Rugby Union Writers' Club

Second Sight by Ian McKinley 

Fighting to Speak by Mark Jones and Anthony Bunko 

Scrum Queens by Ali Donnelly 

Steve Hansen: The Legacy by Gregor Paul

Unforgettable by Steve Thompson

World in their Hands: The Story of the First Women’s Rugby World Cup by Martyn Thomas

Pinsent Masons Sports Writing Award

Everest 1922: The Epic Story of the First Attempt on the World’s Highest Mountain by Mick Conefrey

Dreaming the Impossible: The Battle to Create a Non-Racial Sports World by Mihir Bose 

The Long Golden Afternoon by Stephen Proctor 

The People's Game by Gary Neville 

My Hidden Race by Anyika Onuora and Jonathan Drennan 

Get It On: How the ‘70s Rocked Football by Jon Spurling 

For more information about the Sports Book Awards 2023, visit http://sportsbookawards.com/

The Sports Book Awards, in association with The Sunday Times will take place at the Kia Oval on 24th May, presented by Mark Pougatch. Tickets for the awards ceremony are available to purchase here.

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