WATCH AGAIN: TOO BLACK TO WEAR WHITES

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint.
They do all the great Got, Not Got series
and plenty of other retro sports titles.

James Brown, The Late Tackle, talkSPORT

Pitch Publishing show the way for enterprising
sports book publishers and remains a beacon
of hope for sports authors aspiring or established.

The Sports Bookshelf.com

Pitch Publishing, an outfit whose "pitch perfect"
commissioning of boxing material stands
as a rebuke to more established houses

Boxing Monthly

Pitch capture the real spirit of sport with entertaining
and clever ideas. They work out what the aficionado
would want to read, then deliver it with great verve.

Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph

Pitch have enabled me to write in the ways I enjoy most.
Their production support is superb, delivering eye-catching
designs, attentive proof-reading, energetic marketing and helpful advice.

Tim Quelch, Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Orient to the Emirates, Underdog!

Pitch are willing to back out-of-the-blue and innovative
ideas and turn them into viable, entertaining books.
They do so with great presentation and editorial flair.

Justin Parkinson, Then Came Massacre

Pitch saw the potential in my story, used their expertise
to polish it, published it and helped inspire thousands
around the world to get into the sport of triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run & Can't Sleep, Can't Train, Can't Stop

The process of working with Pitch to produce Picking up the Threads
was enjoyable and rewarding, with the final edition surpassing
expectations and becoming a resounding success.

John Chandler, Picking up the Threads

Pitch will take a chance on books that other publishers won't
and realise that interest in football extends beyond the
Premier League and the top 20 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Steve Menary, Outcasts!

Pitch have the vision to look beyond the obvious,
seeking out interesting ideas and subjects and
matching them with the right target audience.

David Tossell, Tony Greig, The Great English Final, Grovel!, Natural

Pitch have been an absolute joy to work with,
contributing their passion, expertise, knowledge
and experience to help produce a brilliant book.

Sam Pilger, Ashes Match of My Life

Pitch took our original concept and further enhanced it,
using their knowledge, experience and expertise, and helped
make Got, Not Got one of the football books of the year for 2011.

Derek Hammond, Got, Not Got series of books

Pitch bought into the concept of development through football,
channeling profits and proceeds from Eleven into helping
some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world.

Steve Fleming, Eleven

In the highly competitive world of sport publishing,
Pitch have consistently demonstrated the happy
knack of spotting, nurturing and promoting winners.

Neil Dunkin, Anfield of Dreams

02 Mar

WATCH AGAIN: TOO BLACK TO WEAR WHITES

In the latest of Pitch Publishing's virtual cricket talks authors Richard Parry and Jonty Winch joined BBC cricket reporter and commentator Mark Church to talk about their new book Too Black to Wear Whites.

If you were unable to join us for the live talk and question-and-answer session, then you can watch it again by clicking here.

Too Black to Wear Whites is the compelling story of Krom Hendricks, the first black South African sporting hero. Co-authors Jonty Winch and Richard Parry explore the colonial roots of racism in cricket and the nefarious role Cecil Rhodes played in the origins of segregation when he barred Krom Hendricks from the South African tour to England in 1894.

Hendricks's long struggle for recognition exposed a cruel system. It is a compelling human drama. Hendricks played for the South African 'Malay' team against English professionals in 1892.

He was, they said, the best fast bowler in the world. He struck fear into the white establishment and targeted elite South African batsmen who feared his express pace and the prospect of humiliation at the hands of a 'coloured' player.

Denied the chance to play Test cricket against Lord Hawke's side, his courage, perseverance and passion for cricket never diminished over several decades; and at the age of 60 he led representative 'coloured' teams in fundraisers during the First World War.

Richard Parry works in African history, resistance to colonialism and international taxation. He uncovers histories of racism, colonialism and cricket and advises African countries on implementing effective tax systems.

Jonty Winch has worked in photography, journalism and education in three southern African states and England. These interests have influenced his involvement in more than 20 histories, biographies and anthologies.

Pitch's 2020/21 Winter Programme of Virtual Cricket Talks

The 2020/21 winter programme will include a mix of backlist and new books due out in spring 2021, with the talks taking place on Friday evenings at 7.30pm and expected to last up to 90 minutes; each will also include a question-and-answer session for attendees.

The links will be published on the day of each talk, and circulated to interested societies ahead of each event to share with members by email or on social media channels.

If you wish to learn more about the titles and authors, or purchase those books to read ahead of the talks, please click the links below for further information.

2020/21 Winter Schedule

12th March
Jonathan Rice, author of The Stories of Cricket's Finest Painting

19th March
John Fuller, author of All Wickets Great and Small