Ian McEwan is in the running for this year's Whitbread Prize for best novel with 'Atonement'.
Other authors on the shortlist include Helen Dunmore, Patrick Neate and Andrew Miller.
McEwan was shortlisted for this year's Booker Prize, but lost out to Peter Carey.
The Whitbread prize is seen as second only to the Booker in the UK literary world.
This year has seen its total prize fund increased to £50,000.
The prizes are awarded in six categories including best novel, best first novel, best poetry collection, best biography, best children's book and the book of the year.
The Whitbread prizes are awarded in January 2002.
