Sports Book of the Year Winner Named
The winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award has been unveiled as ‘Beryl: In Search of Britain’s Greatest Athlete’ by Jeremy Wilson. Judges narrowed down a list of the fifteen best sports books of 2022 in what is recognized as the UK’s most prestigious literary sports-writing prize. The author was awarded a trophy and a prize of £30,000 at a ceremony at BAFTA.
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year award offers authors and publishers a valuable platform to showcase their books. ©Pixabay/Pexels
Superb Writing
Jeremy Wilson’s ‘Beryl: In Search of Britain’s Greatest Athlete’ has been crowned as the winner of the 2022 William Hill Sports Book of the Year. Wilson collected his well-deserved trophy and prize money of £30,000 at an award ceremony held at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly in London on December 1st.
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year award has been going since 1989 and is viewed as the UK’s most important literary sports writing prize. Such is the reputation of the award that it has the capacity to elevate the winning book out of the sports section, opening it up to an even bigger audience of readers.
Last year’s winning title, ‘Why We Kneel, How We Rise’ by Jamaican cricketer Michael Holding, was described by critics as ‘one of the most important sports books you will ever read’. This year’s winner has proved no less impressive. The judges praised Jeremy Wilson’s biography of Beryl Burton for its exhaustive research and superb writing.
Also praised was Wilson’s opening paragraph, which the judges described as ‘laced with righteous fury’ on why the public had not heard more about Beryl Burton. Wilson’s book tells the story of one of the greatest cyclists of all time, who dominated her sport as much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx.
Despite being described as the Muhammed Ali of British cycling, her story has largely been neglected. Beryl Burton, née Charnock, was born in the Halton area of Leeds, West Yorkshire. She spent her life living in nearby Morley, where she raced for Morley Cycling Club and later Knaresborough CC. She came to cycling when she married her husband Charlie in 1955.
Record-Breaking Cyclist
Burton took to the sport quickly and in just two years won her first national medal, a silver in the national 100-mile individual time trial championship. From the lates 1950’s to the 1980’s, Burton dominated women’s cycling in the UK. For 25 successive years she held the title of the British Best All-Rounder.
Beryl won more than 90 domestic championships and seven world titles. She broke numerous records over the course of her career, including exceeding the men’s record for the 12-hour time-trial for two years. She still holds the women’s record which she set over forty years ago in 1967.
In 1982, with her daughter Denise, she set a British 10-mile record for women riding a tandem bicycle. Her sporting achievements were formally recognized when she was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1964, and later as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1968. She won the Bidlake Memorial Prize a record three times.
Although she received many offers from sponsors, Burton remained an amateur throughout her career. Beryl died of a heart attack whilst out cycling in 1996, at the age of 58. Jeremy Wilson’s book pays homage to the remarkable life she led, captured through family, friends and fellow competitors. On receiving the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, Wilson said:
“I followed this award in the 1980s and 90s and must have half the previous winners on my book shelves. It’s inspired me to read sports books and write one. I felt such a responsibility to tell this story, Beryl made history and delivered this incredible story and I was fortunate to tell it. I share this award with her.”
Strong Competition
Over the course of four months, a panel of judges from the world of sports and journalism whittled a record 158 entries down to just one winning book. In September a longlist of 15 authors was chosen, before being reduced to just five authors in late November.
This year’s nominations covered an expansive range of subjects within sports, including racism and sexism in sports, illuminating autobiographies and portrayals of some of history’s greatest sporting figures. Author and journalist Alyson Rudd, who chaired the judging panel, described the process of selecting a winner as ‘no mean feat’.
The four authors who made the shortlist did not go home empty handed. They were each gifted a special leather-bound copy of their book as well as a prize of £3,000. Offering her congratulations to Wilson, she explained why ‘Beryl: In Search of Britain’s Greatest Athlete’ had pipped its contenders to the top spot. According to Rudd:
“Too few biographies focus on sports women, but this book helps to alter the balance. It is quite simply a tour de force and leaves the reader emotionally drained but also uplifted. Beryl deserved for her story to be told in style and Jeremy Wilson achieves that while also charting the more controversial elements of her extraordinary life.”
Those who narrowly missed out were Craig Bromfield, Andy McGrath, Anyika Onuora and Rory Smith. Bromfield’s ‘Be Good, Love Brian: Growing Up with Brian Clough’ tells the heartfelt story of how the famous football manager rescued the author and his brother from childhood abuse.
McGrath’s ‘God is Dead: The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke, Cycling’s Great Wasted Talent’ recounts how Vandenbroucke rose to the top of his sport but tragically lost it all to doping and addiction. Onuora’s ‘My Hidden Race’ offers an unflinching glimpse into racism and sexism in professional sports. Meanwhile, Smith’s ‘Expected Goals: The Story of how Data Conquered Football and Changed the Game Forever’ explores how technology has transformed the game.
