The Walter Scott Prize, named to commemorate the great Scottish writer, is uniquely awarded for historical fiction -- a genre, as the list illustrates, that covers a huge canvas.
The Long Song, by Andrea Levy
Tale of Jamaica's slave rebellion of 1832, penned by an Orange Prize winner and a finalist for the 2010 Booker.
C, by Tom McCarthy
An experimental novel set in early 19th century England, featuring lots of "C" words and eccentric gizmos. Also a very odd jacket.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, by David Mitchell
A tiny Dutch outpost in early 19th century Japan is the setting. Rave reviews and selling extremely well.
Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor
In 1950s London, a broken-down old woman recalls her love affair with a gifted playwright.
Heartstone by C J Sansom
Well, well, it's a mystery, told as a sweeping historical epic, set in tumultuous mid-sixteenth century London.
Guess where this historical thriller is set. Readers found it so unbelievable that they had to look up books to realize that the events really did happen.
The winner of the Walter Scott Prize, worth 25,000 pounds, will be announced on 18 June as part of the Borders Book Festival.
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