UK Publishers plan to bring home the Ashes books
25.08.09 Graeme Neill in The Bokseller

Publishers are hoping to cash in on England's Ashes success, following the cricket team's victory over Australia during the weekend.

At least eight cricket titles are due out this autumn.
Orion is bringing forward publication of its official Ashes tie-in to the end of September. The as yet untitled book will be priced £18.99. Written by the Mail on Sunday's cricket correspondent, Peter Hayter, it will feature contributions from the winning England team, as well as several sections of colour photographs.

Orion also published the official tie-in following England's 2005 Ashes success. Malcolm Edwards, Orion deputy c.e.o., said: "We are moving ahead as quickly as possible. Peter is working on getting interviews with all of the key players."

Hodder and Stoughton will add fresh material to three of its cricketing memoirs this autumn. Winning captain's Andrew Strauss' autobiography, Testing Times and Bringing Home the Ashes, will include around 30,000 words devoted to this summer's Test series. The release date has been brought forward to 17th September.

Andrew Flintoff, who announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this year, will also devote around 30,000 words to the events of this summer in his memoir Ashes to Ashes. Its release has also been brought forward to 1st October. Alistair Cook's Starting Out is published on 1st October and will include between 7,500 and 10,000 words on the Ashes. Hodder and Stoughton is also publishing former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan's autobiography, Time to Declare, on 29th October.

Simon & Schuster is the first publisher to release an Ashes tie-in this autumn. Atherton's Ashes, by former England cricket captain Mike Atherton, will be published on 1st September, priced £18.99.

Aurum is rush releasing its Ashes book by cricket journalist Gideon Haigh, titled The Ultimate Test, for publication on 17th September. The book will give a day by day account of all five Ashes tests.

&C Black said it may reissue Wisden on the Ashes by Steven Lynch to include details of this summer's competition, although no decision has yet been made. It was first published on 1st May.