Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist

From the BBC

It's no surprise that Hilary Mantel should be on the shortlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction (once the Orange Prize).  But, boy, is there some competition....

Hilary Mantel and Zadie Smith are among the authors up for this year's Women's Prize For Fiction, the UK's only annual book award for female fiction writers.

Smith, shortlisted for her novel NW, is a previous recipient of the prize, as is fellow nominee Barbara Kingsolver.

Kate Atkinson, A M Homes and Maria Semple have also made it onto the 2013 shortlist.

Formerly known as the Orange Prize, the £30,000 award - now in its 18th year - will be presented on 5 June.

If Mantel wins the prize for her historical novel Bring Up the Bodies, she will become the first person to win all three of the UK's major book prizes.

Her acclaimed novel, a follow-up to 2009's Wolf Hall, won the Man Booker Prize last year and was named Costa Book of the Year in January.

Actress Miranda Richardson, chair of this year's judging panel, said she had been "a little bit nervous" about shortlisting Mantel's book, fearing there might be a backlash.

"But I was hopeful that excellence would win out in her case," she told the BBC after the announcement.

"If something is brilliant, you have to give it its due."