Women love playing sport – and writing about it. Here are 6 fascinating and surprising sports books by women
- Written by: Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University
Australians love a good sport story, because we love our sport.
While many of us think of sporting narratives playing out on fields and courts, there are some wonderful sporting stories captured in our country’s rich literature. And just as women have always been playing sport, they have also been writing about it.
Here are some books by women and non-binary writers for your summer reading list. They look at sport in a range of ways. Whether you enjoy histories, non-fiction, poetry, crime or even romance, there is a sporting story to suit all readers. These books seek to connect with diverse sports fans, or anyone looking for something a little different.
The first women’s Ashes
Marion Stell’s The Bodyline Fix: How Women Saved Cricket delves into a fascinating yet often overlooked chapter of cricket history. The book explores how Australian women cricketers in the 1930s played a crucial role in restoring the integrity of the sport, following the infamous men’s Bodyline series of 1932-33, which strained relations between Australia and England.
Yet around this time three intriguing novels written by women about Australian rules football were published: The Family Men by Catherine Harris (2014), Game Day by Miriam Sved (2014) and The Whole of My World by Nicole Hayes (2013).
These books depicted the ways women work to connect with the game and the joy that fandom can bring. They also examined the dark side of the sport, such as the effects of toxic masculinity.
More recently, Sarah Thornton published Lapse, a crime thriller set in rural Australia, where the protagonist, former lawyer Clementine Jones heads to the country and ends up coaching at the local footy club.
Lapse is an interesting look at Australian rural life, racial tensions in small communities and the dynamics of country footy through the tropes of the thriller genre. The novel has lots of suspense to keep you turning the pages. The plot is a refreshing take on the “stranger arriving in a small town with a secret”, featuring a woman protagonist who comes into a hypermasculine environment.
Another footy book to add to your reading list is the newly published The Season by Australian literary legend Helen Garner.
The Season depicts Garner’s experience following her grandson’s under-16s football team for a season. It is full of reflections on developing masculinity and the role of sport in crafting identity. Garner also writes about connection to her AFL team the Western Bulldogs and what being a supporter means to her.
The book is a valuable contribution to the footy book genre. Seeing the sports we love through the eyes of those not as close to the game helps us see it in a new light.
Read more:
In her charming 'nanna's book about footy', Helen Garner writes with candour, vigilance and insight
Matildas’ momentum
Who didn’t get caught up the excitement of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup? One of the successes of the event was how many new fans were welcomed into the women’s football family.
Now we have some fantastic publications to speak to those new fans, celebrate the trailblazers, and reflect on the future of women’s football.
Football historian and academic Fiona Crawford has been busy over the last couple of years documenting the increased focus on Australia’s national women’s team the Matildas.
She published The Matilda Effect (2023) in the lead up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also co-authored Never Say Die: The Hundred-Year Overnight Success of Australian Women’s Football (2019) with Lee McGowan, which is another great read.
Her recently released The Rise of the Matildas reflects on the Matilda’s World Cup experience. Crawford writes with expertise, consideration for the game’s pioneers, and respect for fans. Her engaging style instantly connects you to the historic moment that we hope will change Australian women’s football forever.
First Nations people and sport
Personal Score: Sport, Culture, Identity by Ellen van Neerven is a compelling blend of memoir, poetry and cultural commentary.
Through essays, reflections and poems, van Neerven explores the intersections of sport, culture and identity, with a focus on their lived experience as a queer, non-binary First Nations person.
Personal Score is incredibly powerful, alternating between intimate reflection and sharp political critique. It explores what it means to play sport on stolen land, to love football – and questions the game’s colonial history.
The book tells stories of trauma and resilience. Van Neerven’s considered writing not only provides hope that Australian sport can change to become more inclusive, it details practical steps we can all take.
Tennis anyone?
Romance fiction book sales are on the rise. You might be surprised to learn that sports romance has become a major player in this growing market – so much so that from February 28 to March 2, 2025, the world’s first Sports Romance Convention will be held in Minneapolis, USA.
As we gear up for the Australian Open, a timely title is Abra Pressler’s Love and Other Scores. Pressler tells the story of an international tennis star with a secret coming to compete in Melbourne’s grand slam tournament. When he falls in love with a local, he finds he can’t hide his secret much longer.
Pressler’s novel explores how diverse sexualities are still stigmatised in men’s sport, at the same time as it depicts an environment where there are more intersectional identities. And of course, as is necessary in the romance genre, it gives us a “happily ever after” ending that allows us to imagine a sporting world where these issues are not only resolved, but celebrated.
Love and Other Scores is a sexy, queer romance with a diverse cast of characters. It is an excellent example of intersectional representation in sport and it is also a fun summer read.
Authors: Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University
Daily Bulletin
