News

Sweet Summers: The Classic Cricket Writing of JM Kilburn scoops Wisden Book of the Year.

Sweet Summers brings together a collection of the best writings of Kilburn, who was born in Sheffield in 1909 and died in Harrogate in 1993. It was compiled and edited by Duncan Hamilton and published by Great Northern Books in July 2008. This is Hamilton's third book award - his first for a cricket book - having previously won the William Hill Sport Book of the Year in 2007 and Best Football Book at the British Sports Book Awards in 2008 for his memoir of Brian Clough, Provided You Don't Kiss Me.

In Sweet Summers, Hamilton describes Kilburn as "one of cricket's major romantic poets: the Coleridge to Neville Cardus' Wordsworth". It was Hamilton's admiration for Kilburn's writing, and his desire to bring his words to a wider audience, that led to the book. Hamilton's idea quickly won approval from some of the greatest names in cricket who enthusiastically contributed to the book with personal reminiscences of (Jim) Kilburn. Among them, Geoffrey Boycott, who provided the book's foreword in which he notes, in typical Boycott style: "Nowadays, I believe there are too many writers attached to cricket who know bugger all about it - Jim was different."

Sweet Summers also includes contributions from Dickie Bird, Richie Benaud, Richard Hutton, John Woodcock, Matthew Engel, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Geoffrey Moorhouse, David Frith, Derek Hodgson, Brian Close, Ray Illingworth, Stephen Chalke, Harry Gration, Chris Waters, Bob Appleyard and Don Wilson. All of whom express admiration for the supreme clarity and lyricism of Kilburn's writing style.

In Sweet Summers, Kilburn's cultivated and authoritative essays capture the spirit and beauty of cricket and the legends gracing it, among them Don Bradman, Fred Trueman, Jack Hobbs, Keith Miller, Garry Sobers, Hedley Verity and Wally Hammond. His pure, vivid prose traps in ink and paper an era that will never return. He writes of the days when 8,000 people watched Yorkshire's County Championship matches; when he travelled by ship on an Ashes tour with his friend Len Hutton; and of a bygone but beautiful period when one-day matches, coloured clothing and rampant commercialism in cricket simply didnšt exist.

In the 2009 edition of Wisden, Patrick Collins, writes, "Those of us who were shamefully unfamiliar with [Kilburn's] work are indebted to Duncan Hamilton for compiling and editing Sweet Summers, The Classic Cricket Writing of JM Kilburn. He wrote with technical awareness, shrewd insight and firm principles. He possessed the eye of a reporter and the soul of a poet. And his love for cricket shines through every elegant sentence. A game richly blessed with fine writers has rarely known his equal." In confirming Sweet Summers as the Wisden Book of the Year, Collins adds, "[Kilburn's] words carry a haunting resonance and his work deserves to be read for as long as cricket is played."

Duncan Hamilton said, "I thought that JM Kilburn had been sadly and unjustly neglected since his retirement. His cricket writing, in my view, was so good it demanded to be revitalised and brought to a new audience, and so Sweet Summers was born. I am delighted that the publishers, Great Northern Books, backed the idea and also that so many esteemed cricketers, writers and commentators gave their time willingly to contribute their thoughts and memories of the great writer. This accolade from Wisden is the icing on the cake. I'd love to think that Sweet Summers would encourage people to go out and discover Kilburn's earlier books."

Coming soon to Great Northern Books big names and great stories...

Enzo Calzaghe, father and trainer to 46 times undefeated world champion boxer, Joe Calzaghe, reveals what it takes to train a world champion and succeed against all odds in the captivating story of his life. A fascinating insight that will appeal to all sports fans. Enzo Calzaghe: The Don - 1st September 2009.

In Thunder in the Mountains WR Mitchell reveals the incredible human story behind the construction of the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct over 120 years ago. For five years hundreds of workers and their families lived in huge shanty towns at the foot of the railway viaduct, plagued by lawlessness, outbreaks of smallpox and the new-fangled explosive "dynamite". Publication date 13th July 2009.

2009 sees Britain host the historic Ashes Test series and to commemorate this, Fire and Ashes will be released on June 12th 2009. With introduction by Geoffrey Boycott, Fire and Ashes will be a celebration of the 18 living Yorkshire cricketers who have all taken part in the Ashes Test. Players such as Michael Vaughn, Darren Gough and Matthew Hoggard recall their favourite Ashes Test, bringing back to life past glories and cricketing triumphs.

In the Grand Book of Yorkshire Humour, one of the country's longest serving MPs and former YTV Calendar presenter from its earliest days, Austin Mitchell, casts a humorous eye over all things Yorkshire. Guaranteed fully organic, humour - no additives or preservatives - this book is packed full of Yorkshire jokes and sayings sure to brighten up even the dullest of days. A great gift idea. Publication date: May 2009.

...Watch this space!

Hail Kilburn, Coleridge of cricket

"Hail Kilburn, Coleridge of cricket. Duncan Hamilton's anthology of famed cricket reporter Jim Kilburn is the pick of an excellent seasonal crop of sports nostalgia books . . . Sweet Summers, edited with care and valued esteem by compatriot Duncan Hamilton, is the opportune and timely treasury of [Kilburn's] work and appealingly undated."
Frank Keating, The Guardian
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Barns of the Yorkshire Dales

Andy Singleton, co-author of 'Barns of the Yorkshire Dales' was featured in the Sunday Times, 8th February, 2009. [Read full article]

"[the book] outlines the methods and materials used to build barns and how they can be converted into 21st century homes .... an inspiration to any self-builder"
The Telegraph Property - Saturday 10th January - Book of the Week

"The photos alone, however, will have anyone who loves this beautiful part of the world swooning." Stephen Lewis at the Press (York)

"Andy Singleton and David Joy have made it their business to stop and study barns galore, and have told the story of their history and survival in a fascinating new book, Barns of the Yorkshire Dales. The two authors complement each other nicely." Telegraph and Argus 13/12/08

"This is a book which does these glorious structures proud ... a truely fascinating work that breaks completely new ground."
(Huddersfield Examiner, 21/11/08) [Read the full article]

Praise for Bright and Breezy

"This glossy hardback packed with glorious colour photographs ... capture this wonderful county in every kind of light and every kind of weather.... It's definately one to keep on the coffee table" Hull Daily Mail 8/12

"Leading personalities in the world of YTV ... tell about filming in rain or shine, gale or flood."
(Huddersfield Examiner, 14/11/08)

"a sumptuous book" "stunning images"
The Press (York)
[Click here for full article]

Deano opens new Hull city shop
On Monday 27 October, Dean Windass opened the new Hull City FC shop at Princes Quay shopping centre in Hull. Read more at the Hull City website:

Hull City

or you can see the launch on video at: Video

Priestley's wars

A Public Lecture at the Imperial War Museum, London with Tom Priestley, Neil Hanson, Timothy West and Kenneth Cranham Sunday 23 November, 3.00pm. To book click here.

Revealed at last: JB Priestley's letters from the trenches. Little has been known about this period of his life, but the rediscovery of his letters sheds new light on Priestley's war years. In 'Priestley's Wars' the surviving correspondence is included alongside his later musings on war, in particular the manuscripts of his weekly Postscript radio broadcasts during the Second World War.
Yorkshire Post

Priestley war letters published - BBC News