Orange Prize Shortlist Announced

Authors Ali Smith, Zadie Smith and Sarah Waters are in the running for the Orange Prize for Fiction, which celebrates female writing.

Six authors have been nominated, with the winner of the top prize of £30,000 being announced on 6 June.

Both Zadie Smith's On Beauty and Ali Smith's The Accidental were also nominated for last year's Booker Prize.

Australian Carrie Tiffany has been shortlisted for her debut novel Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living.

Sarah Waters, whose novel Fingersmith was a previous nominee, sees her fourth book The Night Watch on the Orange shortlist.

US author Nicole Krauss is also up for the award with The History of Love, alongside Hilary Mantel for Beyond Black.

The award celebrates "excellence, originality and accessibility in women's writing" and can be given to any female author writing in the English language.

Zadie Smith's The Autograph Man and White Teeth and Ali Smith's Hotel World were previous Orange nominees

'Finest writers'

Broadcaster Martha Kearney, chairwoman of the judges, said: "We have been very lucky as some of the country's finest writers have excellent books out this year and that is reflected in our choice.

"But that did mean it was difficult taking out some much loved novels from the long list.

"I am pleased that we've included books from the US and Australia including one which most readers won't have come across."

This year's judging panel includes comedienne and novelist Jenny Eclair, director of the Institute of Ideas Claire Fox, novelist and columnist India Knight, and children's writer Jacqueline Wilson.

Previous winners of the Orange Prize for Fiction include Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), and Valerie Martin for Property (2003).