BBC National Short Story Award hopefuls unveiled

Helen Oyeyemi is the youngest writer to be nominated in the award's history

The hopefuls who are in the running for this year's BBC National Short Story Award have been unveiled.

Helen Oyeyemi is the youngest novelist yet to have been nominated for the prize.

The 26-year-old's book My Daughter The Racist will compete against works by David Constantine, Aminatta Forna, Sarah Hall and Jon McGregor.

The winner of the £15,000 prize money will be announced on Radio 4's Front Row on 29 November.

The runner-up will £3,000 and the rest of the writers will be rewarded with £500 each.

Critically-acclaimed writer McGregor is in contention with his story If it Keeps on Raining, which is pitted against Butcher's Perfume by Hall.

In 2003 she scooped the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Novel and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 2007.

Forna, author of Haywards Heath, is also no stranger to awards.

Her debut book, The Devil that Danced on the Water, was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize in 2003.

Best known as a a poet and translator, Constantine was shortlisted for this year's Frank O'Connor Prize with The Shieling.

His latest publication, Tea at the Midland, has been recognised for the BBC national award.

Five actors and actresses - including Holby City's Hugh Quarshie - will each read one of the shortlisted stories on a daily basis from 15 November at 1530 GMT on Radio 4.

The prize, launched in 2005, was created to honour the country's finest authors in the form.