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| Hilary Mantel and Zadie Smith up for women's fiction prize | Hilary Mantel and Zadie Smith up for women's fiction prize |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Two previous winners | |
| Smith's nomination - her fourth - follows her inclusion this week on Granta's latest list of Britain's 20 brightest young writers. | |
| The newest name on the shortlist is American writer Semple, who is shortlisted for her second novel Where'd You Go, Bernadette. | |
| Kingsolver and Homes, who are also American, are shortlisted for their novels Flight Behaviour and May We Be Forgiven respectively. | |
| Atkinson, who previously made the Orange Prize longlist in 2005, makes this year's shortlist with her eighth novel Life After Life. | |
| This year marks the first time that shortlist includes two previous winners of the Orange Prize. | |
| Privately funded | |
| Kingsolver was recognised in 2010 for The Lacuna, while Smith won in 2006 for On Beauty. | |
| The winner will receive a cheque for £30,000 and a bronze statue, known as the 'Bessie', created by the artist Grizel Niven. | |
| The award is being funded privately this year by donors after Orange ended their 17-year sponsorship deal. | |
| Actress Miranda Richardson chairs this year's judging panel, which includes The Lady editor Rachel Johnson and author Jojo Moyes. | |
| Any woman writing in English is eligible for the award, regardless of her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter. |