Book Reviews
Serious fun and seductive narratives
Seàn Crosson’s Sport and Film (Routledge), now in its second, fully revised and updated edition, traces the history of the sports film, from the beginnings of cinema in the 1890s, its consolidation as a distinct fiction genre in the mid‑1920s in Hollywood, to its contemporary manifestation in Oscar‑winning and nominated films such as Million Dollar Baby. In his review, Dilwyn Porter focuses on what’s new compared to the first edition from 2013, for instance a new chapter devoted to sports documentaries, and concludes that Crosson’s book still is the go-to source for sports scholars approaching film.
News
Call For Papers | “Sport and Celtic Identity in the 21st Century”, a hybrid symposium on Friday, November 13, 2026 at Liverpool John Moores...
There have been significant expansions in the expression of Celtic identity through sport this century. The Gaelic Athletic Association continued its 140-year history of exporting its games across the world. The games continue to have sizeable presences in diaspora spaces of North America and Australasia, but their popularity is also growing in Europe, particularly in France and Spain. The forthcoming symposium is aimed at gathering contemporary stories of sport’s contribution to the negotiation of Celtic identity in the 21st Century with a view to building a collaborative network of scholars
That Was The Week That Was, June 1–7, 2026
idrottsforum’s weekly newsletter gives you the past week’s on-site activities in your mailbox every Monday morning, in the form of a letter with a link to a web page presentation of new publications. Click below to access that page, which also offers you a chance to subscribe to the Monday morning mail in case you’re not already a subscriber. And do friends and colleagues a great favor by telling them about this invaluable and totally free service.
Call for Book Proposals | Emerald Studies in Sport and Gender
This series explores the intersection of sport, women, and gender, challenging binary thinking and embracing the full gender spectrum. Covering recreation to elite sport, the series takes an interdisciplinary approach, addressing social, cultural, and political issues, advocating for inclusive and diverse perspectives. Founded by Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto, Emerald Studies in Sport and Gender is dedicated to advancing research on women and gender in sport. The current editor is Toby Miller, Distinguished Professor at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Guadalajar.
