Writers on Boxing

Reading List

  • #91: ‘Death of a Boxer’ by Pete Carvill

    #91: ‘Death of a Boxer’ by Pete Carvill

    ‘Death of a Boxer’ is Pete Carvill’s ode (or rather series of odes) to boxing, a collection of essays outlining his relationship with the sport. The book was published by Biteback Publishing, February 2024. Carvill walks us through what is now a strained association with the noble art, exploring themes of masculinity; the importance of Read more

  • #90: ‘Headshot’ by Rita Bullwinkel

    #90: ‘Headshot’ by Rita Bullwinkel

    ‘Headshot’ is Rita Bullwinkel’s innovative novel about a group of girl boxers, published by Daunt Books in March 2024. The first thing to say about this book is how interesting the format is: it follows eight boxers (from the quarter-final stage) competing across two days in a fictional amateur tournament in the USA. The book’s Read more

  • #89: ‘The Constant Sinner’ by Mae West

    #89: ‘The Constant Sinner’ by Mae West

    ‘The Constant Sinner’, published in 1930, is Mae West’s novel whose protagonist, Babe Gordon, grows up around New York’s 1920s professional boxing circuit. The novel opens by introducing us to Babe, who is essentially a teenage prostitute being used by boxing promoters to either sabotage the chances of an opponent, by disrupting their training and Read more

  • #88: ‘Dancing Shoes is Dead’ by Gavin Evans

    #88: ‘Dancing Shoes is Dead’ by Gavin Evans

    ‘Dancing Shoes is Dead’ is Gavin Evans’ memoir about his life as a political activist and lifelong boxing fan. The book is published by Black Swan. The memoir charts Evans’ life growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa and his early involvement as a committed activist, eventually aligning with the ANC. His political ideals are interwoven Read more

  • #87: ‘The Saga of Sock’ by John V. Grombach

    #87: ‘The Saga of Sock’ by John V. Grombach

    ‘The Saga of Sock’ by John V. Grombach, published in 1949, was a contemporary attempt to trace the history of boxing from its inception (as stated in this book) in Ancient Greece, through the place it held in the Roman Empire, to its reemergence in Georgian Britain, with the ultimate intention of showing the influence Read more

  • #86: ‘Mighty Atoms’ by Amanda Whittington

    #86: ‘Mighty Atoms’ by Amanda Whittington

    ‘Mighty Atoms’, written by Amanda Whittington, is a play which was commissioned by Hull Truck Theatre in 2017, the year in which Hull was named as Britain’s City of Culture. As with so many plays, I heard about this one only weeks after it was performed near where I live. Annoyingly, the play was staged Read more