William Hill Sports Book of the Year Named
“Why We Kneel, How We Rise” by cricket legend Michael Holding has been named winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. Described by critics as “one of the most important books you will ever read”, the third offering from Holding examines the roots of racism in sports. After taking place online last year, organizers were pleased to be able to hold this year’s award ceremony in person.
The book includes contributions from some of the biggest names in sport, such as Usain Bolt and Naomi Osaka. ©Pixabay/Pexels
“Why We Kneel, How We Rise”
The winner of the 2021 William Hill Sports Book of the Year has finally been announced, after months of deliberation from the expert panel of judges. The award, which honors excellence in sports writing, this year went to Michael Holding’s “Why We Kneel, How We Rise”.
The winning book deals with the issue of racism in sports and the Black Lives Matter movement. The third book by the Jamaican cricketer came out on top against five other shortlisted titles, as the panel described it as “one of the most important sports books you will ever read”.
Michael Holding made his name as one of the best pace bowlers in the history of cricket playing for the inimitable West Indies team in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He earned the nickname “Whispering Death” thanks to his famously silent and light-footed run up to the bowling crease. He made history early on in his Test career, when in 1976 he broke the record for best bowling figures in a Test match by a West Indies bowler. That record still stands to this day.
Over the course of his first-class cricket career, Holding played for the likes of Jamaica, Tasmania, Canterbury, Derbyshire and Lancashire. After retiring from playing, Holding lent his expertise to commentating on the sport. He has also written two autobiographies; “Whispering Death” and “No Holding Back”.
Holding was compelled to write his latest book following a conversation with Ebony Rainford-Brent on Sky Sports TV last year. Speaking to the cricket commentator, who was herself the first black woman to play for England, he described instances of racism that he had experienced in his sporting career.
Holding also made clear his views on the Black Lives Matter movement, which took the world by storm after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. His comments and insight were praised, as his powerful words struck a chord with viewers.
Building on that passionate conversation, “Why We Kneel, How We Rise” is an eye-opening exploration of racism and the erasure of black voices from history. He collaborated with journalist Ed Hawkins to delve into how racism dehumanizes people, how it has caused achievements by people of color to be overlooked by historians and how racism feels for those impacted by it.
A Message of Hope
Throughout these difficult and painful topics, Holding’s words offer hope for a better future. The book contains contributions from some of sport’s biggest icons, including Naomi Osaka, Usain Bolt, Thierry Henry and Michael Johnson. Holding was grateful to receive the reward, and took the opportunity to thank his writing partner and his publisher, saying:
“I felt it was really important to write this book, and I hope it encourages people to educate themselves about the issues raised. I would like to thank my writing partner, Ed Hawkins, Simon & Schuster and all the great sports stars who contributed to the book.”
He added that he hoped that the book’s recognition would help to spread its anti-racism message and help people to learn more about the topic. The award comes three weeks after Holding criticized the ECB for its handling of the Azeem Rafiq scandal. He said that that the organization had failed cricket and Yorkshire and that it could not continue as it is.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the ECB came under fire after it was decided that no action was necessary despite an independent report that upheld seven out of 43 claims of bullying and racial harassment. Club chairman Roger Hutton has resigned and the BBC has dropped former Yorkshire player Michael Vaughan from his 5 Live radio show, following the claims made by Azeem Rafiq.
Holding weighed in on the fallout, saying that it was people not policies that needed to change. “Why We Kneel, How We Rise” was selected from a shortlist made up entirely of newcomers to the award. At the official awards ceremony held on December 2nd, Holding was presented with a trophy and a cash prize of £30,000.
The runners-up were “Little Wonder” by Sasha Abramsky, “Too Many Reasons to Live” by Rob Burrow, “The Moth and The Mountain” by Ed Caesar, “Damage” by Tris Dixon and “This Is Your Everest” by Tom English and Peter Burns. The shortlisted authors were awarded with prizes of £3,000 each and a leather-bound edition of their book.
Strong Year for Entries
Holding’s book is the sixth cricket-related title to win the prestigious award. The most frequent theme of William Hill Sports Book of the Year winners is football. Speaking on behalf of the panel that was tasked with selecting this year’s winner, Chair of Judges Alyson Rudd congratulated Holding on his achievement:
“Given everything that has happened in the world over the last 18 months, I am proud the standard of the entries was as strong as ever. Michael’s book was very well written, and brilliantly and evocatively highlights the importance of education in defeating one of society’s biggest issues.”
The awards ceremony took place at the newly refurbished BAFTA, with many of the authors nominated in attendance. It was a welcome celebration for the awards, whose winner last year could not attend. The 2020 prize was awarded to Dr Grigory Rodchenkov’s book “The Rodchenkov Affair”, which reported the Russian doping scandal.
The former head of Russia’s Anti-Doping Center recounted the controversy of the state-sponsored doping conspiracy leading up to the nation’s victorious year at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He revealed how he helped athletes to cheat by taking steroids dissolved in alcohol and escape detection by swapping urine samples.
In 2016, he blew the whistle on the doping program in an exclusive interview with the New York Times. Those allegations were confirmed by the McLaren Report, resulting in Russia’s partial ban from the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics.
The dramatic story inspired the 2017 Netflix documentary “Icarus”, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature the following year. Due to the nature of Rodchenkov’s involvement, he has been in living in hiding in the USA, and is under witness protection.
The coveted award is now in its 33rd year, and has been marking excellence in sports writing since 1989. It is the longest running competition of its kind and is the world’s most valuable sports writing prize. While the award specifically recognizes sports books, its reputation often raises the profile of winners to a wider audience of readers.
