Rob Burrow autobiography misses out on top prize

Rob Burrow’s Too Many Reasons to Live had been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, but it’s been revealed tonight that his book was not chosen as the winner.

The inspirational memoir of one of Rugby League’s true greats, Too Many Reasons to Live documents Rob Burrow’s battle with motor neurone disease and the incredible courage and resilience he has shown to keep fighting to the very end.

Jamaican commentator and former cricketer Michael Holding made the shortlist and won the overall prize with Why We Kneel, How We Rise focusing on racism and discrimination in sport. The book provides a powerful look at the history of racism through the prism of sport, showing how we can change things through education and understanding.

Rugby was a continued theme this year, with Rugby Union also featured with authors Tom English and Peter Burns and This is Your Everest, telling the amazing story of the 1997 British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa.

Boxing writer turned author Tris Dixon uncovers the difficult truths of boxing and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in his book Damage and chronicles the lives of fighters affected by it. He interviewed some of the sport’s biggest names, some lesser-known journeymen, and highly respected trainers calling for the sport to address the issue.

Sasha Abramsky’s Little Wonder is a fantastic biography of a remarkable unsung female sporting hero, Little Wonder chronicles the story of Lottie Dod – a Victorian champion tennis player, golfer, hockey player, mountaineer and archer. Abramsky brings Lottie’s pioneering achievements back into the public eye.

Ed Caesar’s amazing tale of little-known World War I veteran Maurice Wilson completed the shortlist with The Moth and The Mountain. Maurice had no knowledge of climbing and barely knew how to fly, but conceived a plan to fly a Gipsy Moth aeroplane from England to Everest all utterly alone. The book tells the story of his vision to become the first man to stand on top of the world.