Dec 2 (Reuters) - West Indies bowling great Michael Holding"s book "Why We Kneel, How We Rise" won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award on Thursday. The book covers racism in sport, examining the root causes of the issue, the toll it takes on communities and the world. It features contributions from athletes such as Olympic champion Usain Bolt, soccer World Cup winner Thierry Henry and four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. William Hill said in a statement that judges described Holding"s book as "one of the most important sports books you will ever read". Holding said he felt it was really important to write the book, which beat five other nominees to the 30,000 pounds ($39,930) prize. "I hope it encourages people to educate themselves about the issues raised," said Holding, who wrote the book with the help of journalist Ed Hawkins. "I am proud and honoured to receive the iconic William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, and I hope this will help us spread the message of "say no to racism" and importance of learning more about this important topic." Holding"s book is the sixth cricket-related book to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, which bills itself as the world"s longest established and richest sporting literary prize. ($1 = 0.7513 pounds)