Six in the running for historical fiction prize

The six contenders for the prize have been revealed

The six contenders for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction have been revealed.

Authors from England, Ireland, Trinidad, Canada and Malaysia are on the shortlist for the £25,000 award this year.

The winner will be announced at a special event as part of the Borders Book Festival in Melrose in June.

Previous winners have included Hilary Mantel, Sebastian Barry and Robert Harris.

The full shortlist this year is:

• The New Life by Tom Crewe

• Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein

• My Father's House by Joseph O'Connor

• In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas

• Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain

• The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

The judges said their criteria of "originality, innovation, ambition, durability and, of course, quality of writing" were showcased in the books selected.

"At the heart of each novel lies a deep understanding of humanity in all its quirky strengths and weaknesses, with each of the shortlisted authors having something new to say and a new way of saying it," they said.