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Hilary Mantel is in contention for yet another award, with Bring Up the Bodies (Fourth Estate) on the shortlist announced this morning (15th April) for the £30,000 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction.
However Mantel will face competition from two previous winners: Barbara Kingsolver, whose The Lacuna won in 2010, is shortlisted for Flight Behaviour (Faber); and Zadie Smith, who scooped the award in 2006 for On Beauty, and is now in contention with NW (Hamish Hamilton).
Meanwhile Kate Atkinson is shortlisted for her much-praised eighth novel Life After Life (Doubleday), which follows Ursula Todd as she repeatedly lives the events of the last century. Two US authors complete the line-up, with A M Homes' sixth novel May We Be Forgiven (Granta) making the cut, and Maria Semple chosen for her second novel, Where'd You Go, Bernadette (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), a comic tale in which 15-year-old Bee goes in search of her missing mother.
Waterstones' spokesman Jon Howells said: "This is the strongest shortlist of any major book award in recent years. With so many acclaimed books by extremely talented writers, the result is not clear cut, and another win for Hilary Mantel cannot be guaranteed.
"For my money I will be placing a bet on A M Homes novel May We Be Forgiven, her best book to date and so far removed from Bring Up the Bodies that it is impossible to compare, and therefore in a good position to take the prize.”
A win for Mantel would mean adding to a treasure trove of accolades, which include the 2012 Man Booker, the 2012 Costa Novel of the Year and Costa Book of the Year awards, as well as the title of Waterstones UK Author of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards.
Chair of the judges Miranda Richardson said: "After an exhilarating meeting, all the judges were in agreement that this is an exceptional year for women's fiction. The shortlist for 2013 represents six tremendous writers at the top of their game. Their individual novels are flawlessly presented, they contain a heady mix of ideas and without exception take the reader on a unique and deeply satisfying journey."
The winner will be announced on 5th June.