Booker Prize contenders include Canadian authors

British Columbia-based writer Ruth Ozeki and Canada authors Alison MacLeod andEleanor Cattonhave been nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize.

There are 13 authors competing for the prestigious literary award, a field heavy with new talent.

Montreal and Halifax-raised MacLeod, who teaches in the U.K.,is up for Unexploded while American-Canadian writer Ozeki is in the running for A Tale for the Time Being. London, Ont.-born Catton is a contender for The Luminaries.

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The list also includes Harvest by Britain's Jim Crace, Five Star Billionaire by Malaysia's Tash Aw and Irish writer Colm Toibin's The Testament of Mary.

The nominated books are from Britain, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Ireland.

Americans are ineligible for the prize, which is open to writers from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth.

But several of the books are by U.S.-based writers, including The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri born in Britain to Indian parents and TransAtlantic by Ireland-born Colum McCann.

Also on the list are We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo; The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris; The Kills by Richard House; Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson;and Donal Ryan's The Spinning Heart.

Judging panel chair Robert Macfarlane said the list was the most diverse in prize history, "wonderfully various in terms of geography, form, length and subject."

Seven of the books are by women, three are first novels and only two of the writers, Crace and Toibin, are previous Booker finalists.

A shortlist will be announced Sept. 10 and the winner of the50,000 pound (about $79,000 Cdn) prize on Oct. 15.

Founded in 1969, the award is officially known as the Man Booker Prize after its sponsor, financial services firm Man Group PLC.Last year's winner was Hilary Mantelfor her Tudor political saga Bring Up the Bodies.