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Promised Land is your choice as Sports Book of the Year

Anthony Clavane’s book Promised Land: The Reinvention of Leeds United is the public’s choice as Sports Book of the Year.

As readers of The Sports Bookshelf will know, eight category winners at the 2011 British Sports Book Awards were put to the vote in an online poll, which closed yesterday.

The Awards organisers announced today that Clavane’s book, which brilliantly interweaves social and football history, had come out on top in the poll, beating ‘61: The Spurs Double and Beware of the Dog, by Brian Moore, into second and third places respectively.

Promised Land won the Best Football Book award when the judges’ verdicts were revealed at the Savoy Hotel last month. ‘61: The Spurs Double was named Best Illustrated Title and Beware of the Dog crowned Best Autobiography.

Sunday Mirror journalist Clavane, born in Leeds but who now lives in Wivenhoe, Essex, said: “It is really pleasing that the book has won the public vote. I’m glad it appears to have had an appeal beyond football.

“It took me a few years to research and write, but I wanted to pay tribute to the community I came from.  I’ve found the story of my city and its team to be a fascinating one and it’s nice to see that many people outside Leeds think so too.”

Rowan Yapp, from publishers Yellow Jersey Press, said: “Promised Land is a brilliant piece of storytelling and we are thrilled it is Sports Book of the Year.

“To write about not only your football club but also your city, your ancestors and what shaped you is an ambitious undertaking. To do this with such passion, humour and humanity on every page is a really great achievement.”

An updated, paperback version of Promised Land, freshly subtitled 'A Northern Love Story' will be available from July 7th.

The British Sports Book Awards exist to celebrate the best in sports books of all kinds.  About 50 publishers submit books for consideration, and a panel of sports journalists, pundits and ex-professional sportsmen determine the best of those put forward.  The 2011 awards were the ninth so far.

Read an interview with Anthony Clavane.

BUY Promised Land: The Reinvention of Leeds United or
PRE-ORDER the paperback edition Promised Land: A Northern Love Story

Read more about the British Sports Book Awards

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