Chris Woakes's memoir The Wizard: a school-bunking Newquay trip, a one-armed Oval innings and more

England all-rounder Chris Woakes is about to publish an autobiography, The Wizard, and the first stories from it are already out. Its out on 22 October, and it covers his twenty years in the professional game and fourteen with the England team.

One of the earliest anecdotes is a schoolboy one. The Guardian's The Spin column reports that Woakes feigned illness to skip school for a long weekend in Newquay, the Cornish seaside town, with friends.

The book was discussed in York on Monday 19 October, at an event at the Creative Centre Auditorium. The audience included one of his old teachers, and the Guardian's columnist was there too. Woakes had announced on social media that he would take part.

The book opens at The Oval in 2025. During the final morning of that Test against India, Woakes dislocated his shoulder and batted as a one-armed No 11, with his left arm in a sling. Its semi-chronological structure then loops back through his life and career.

Woakes is a state-school-educated, one-club cricketer, meaning he spent his professional career with a single county side. He became a two-time World Cup winner with England. In an extract published by the Guardian on 17 October, he recalls the 2019 World Cup win and says some England players resented it when ECB officials stopped certain celebrations or activities.

His career highlights include a career-best nine for 36 in a Test innings in 2016, after he was recalled to the England Test squad. He was also player of the series in the 2023 Ashes, and received the Compton-Miller medal for it. Moeen Ali, a former England teammate, described him as the "best teammate you could wish for".

Woakes's ghostwriter and the cricketer spent about three months talking and meeting to shape the book. The idea arose around three years before publication. Literary agent David Luxton brokered the deal, and Michael Joseph is the publisher. According to The Bookseller, the book's description cites 396 international wickets and 3,705 runs for Woakes.

What stands out is how ordinary the book's best stories sound. A schoolboy skipping class, a teacher in the audience, and a teammate praising his manners make up much of the early chat. The cricket itself comes with a shoulder injury, a sling and a last-wicket stand that people still talk about.

The Wizard is out on 22 October, and signed copies can be pre-ordered from Waterstones.