All-female shortlist for National Short Story Award

A BBC short story competition has five shortlisted writers - and all are female.

The winner National Short Story Awards, one of the most prestigious for a short story contest according to the BBC, will be revealed on December 7th, on Radio 4's Front Row programme.

The shortlisted authors are Naomi Alderman for her story Other People's Gods, Kate Clanchy for The Not-Dead and The Saved, Sara Maitland for Moss Witch, Jane Rogers for Hitting Trees with Sticks, and Lionel Shriver for Exchange Rates.

The winner will receive a £15,000 prize, with the runner-up gaining £3,000. The shortlist was chosen from more than 600 entries.