Former Daily Express chief sports writer and rugby correspondent Neil Squires is in contention for the “Bookie Prize”; Sir Bradley Wiggins’ memoir “The Chain” joins books by Squires, Mary Cain, Sophie Power and William Ralston in contention for prestigious £25,000 award…
Sports writer and author Neil Squires is in contention for the 2026 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.
His entry “The Fall and Rise of the Mölkky Bar Kids” has been selected alongside four other books on the shortlisted for the world’s longest-established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize.
Squires previously served as the chief sports writer and rugby union correspondent for the Daily Express, and is now a freelancer with work published across other national titles including The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph.
As a ghostwriter and co-author, he has worked on the memoirs of England rugby icons Jonny Wilkinson (“My World”) and Ben Youngs (“Beyond The Line”).
Squires was highly commended in the Feature Writer category at the SJA British Journalism Award 2018 and was shortlisted in the Rugby Journalist category at the SJA Awards the following year.
“The Fall and Rise of the Mölkky Bar Kids” was on a longlist of 12 books for the 38th edition of the “Bookie Prize” and Squires will now go up against Sur Bradley Wiggins, Mary Cain, Sophie Power and William Ralston for the major award.
Publication day has arrived https://t.co/uOx8U9lJbR
— neil squires (@squiresneil1) July 2, 2026
The five titles shortlisted are:
- Mary Cain – “This Is Not About Running”
- Sophie Power – “The Power Within”
- William Ralston – “The Impossible Job”
- Neil Squires – “The Fall and Rise of the Mölkky Bar Kids”
- Sir Bradley Wiggins – “The Chain”
Neil Foggin, media manager at William Hill and a member of the reading panel, said: “This is an extremely strong shortlist, with a real range of sports covered. It’s certainly the first time a book on Finnish skittles has featured!
“All five books are superbly written and worthy contenders for the 2026 award. They display the power of sport to challenge, enthral and captivate, as well as the sacrifice that often comes with elite-level competition. We wish all shortlisted nominees the very best of luck.”
The winner will be officially announced at a ceremony on Tuesday, November 24, and will receive a £25,000 cash prize and the coveted William Hill Sports Book of the Year trophy. The remaining shortlisted authors will each receive £2,500 and a bespoke leather-bound copy of their book.
This year’s judging panel includes Adrian Durham, Elis James, Mark Lawson, Christine Ohuruogu and Michelle Walder. Previous Bookie Prize winners include Nick Hornby, Duncan Hamilton, Michael Holding, Jeremy Wilson, Lauren Fleshman, and last year’s winners, Pippa York and David Walsh (“The Escape: The Tour, the Cyclist and Me”).
For more information about the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, visit the website.
The SJA is interested in your sports media industry news and views. Keen to reach an engaged audience, including over 70,000 followers across social media? We welcome your enquiries – contact us here. We also offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
For information on how to apply as a Full or Associate Member of the SJA, plus details of our free-to-enter SJA Academy, click here.