Writers on Boxing

Reading List

  • #74: ‘On The Ropes’ by Vernon Vanriel and Dougie Blaxland

    #74: ‘On The Ropes’ by Vernon Vanriel and Dougie Blaxland

    ‘On The Ropes’ is the story of former British professional boxer Vernon ‘The Entertainer’ Vanriel, co-written by Dougie Blaxland and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour for its debut at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, north London. I haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been busy with work, and I’ve got a writing project of… Read more

  • #73: ‘Boxer: An anthology of Writings on Boxing and Visual Culture’

    #73: ‘Boxer: An anthology of Writings on Boxing and Visual Culture’

    Edited by David Chandler, John Gill, Tania Guha and Gilane Tawadros, ‘Boxer’ was published to accompany an exhibition of the same name at Walsall Museum and Art Gallery (29 July – 10 September 1995). This anthology of essays stands out within my collection as it’s the first boxing-related book I’ve read which can be described… Read more

  • #72: ‘Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers’ by Stephen McGrath

    #72: ‘Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers’ by Stephen McGrath

    ‘Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers’ is the story of Sharman’s legendary Australian travelling boxing troupe, written by Stephen McGrath and published 1 September by Big Sky Publishing. This book is the culmination of many years’ worth of research by McGrath, and it portrays the lives of many historical characters, while employing some fictional figures, in order to… Read more

  • #71: ‘Corey Fah Does Social Mobility’ by Isabel Waidner

    #71: ‘Corey Fah Does Social Mobility’ by Isabel Waidner

    ‘Corey Fah Does Social Mobility’ is Isabel Waidner’s fourth novel, and is published by Hamilton Hamish. It’s a bank holiday weekend here in the UK and as a work-free-three-day-treat I thought I’d put down the boxing books (for the first time in two years) and indulge in my previous obsession: Experimental fiction. I’ve been following… Read more

  • #70: ‘No Middle Ground’ by Sanjeev Shetty

    #70: ‘No Middle Ground’ by Sanjeev Shetty

    ‘No Middle Ground – Eubank, Benn, Watson and the Last Golden Era of British Boxing’ is Sanjeev Shetty’s attempt to document the influential period of British boxing from the late 1980s through to the 1990s, which was dominated by a number of talented middleweights. I don’t put too much thought into the order in which… Read more

  • #69: ‘Rope Burns – One Man’s Reluctant Obsession with Boxing’ by Ian Probert

    #69: ‘Rope Burns – One Man’s Reluctant Obsession with Boxing’ by Ian Probert

    ‘Rope Burns’ is Ian Probert’s story of a life stalked, shadowed and punctuated by professional boxing. Probert describes himself as a reluctant boxing fan and this book is an attempt to avoid writing about boxing; so much so that if it weren’t for the ‘Rules of Boxing’ which end each chapter, you might wonder during… Read more