For over 50 years, the Booker Prize has been considered literature's most sought after ward, recognised outstanding fiction in the English-speaking world.

Each year, a panel of judges selects one novel as the year's best fiction work written in English.

Speaking about this year's shortlist, Peter Florence, chair of this year's judges, said: "Like all great literature, these books teem with life, with a profound and celebratory humanity."

Last year's winner was Belfast-born author Anna Burns', who won for her claustrophobia troubles-set novel Milkman .

This year, no Irish authors made the list - although Kevin Barry made the longlist.

Amongst the six authors who have nominated this year are previous nominees Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie.

Margaret Atwood (Canada), "The Testaments" (Vintage, Chatto & Windus)
Lucy Ellmann (USA/UK), "Ducks, Newburyport" (Galley Beggar Press)
Bernardine Evaristo (UK), "Girl, Woman, Other" (Hamish Hamilton)
Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria), "An Orchestra of Minorities" (Little Brown)
Salman Rushdie (UK/India), "Quichotte" (Jonathan Cape)
Elif Shafak (UK/Turkey), "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" (Viking)

Here's the authors who were nominated for the longlist earlier in the summer, including Limerick writer Kevin Barry:

Kevin Barry (Ireland), "Night Boat to Tangier" (Canongate Books)
Oyinkan Braithwaite (UK/Nigeria), "My Sister, The Serial Killer" (Atlantic Books)
John Lanchester (UK), "The Wall" (Faber & Faber)
Deborah Levy (UK), "The Man Who Saw Everything" (Hamish Hamilton)
Valeria Luiselli (Mexico/Italy), "Lost Children Archive" (4th Estate)
Max Porter (UK), "Lanny" (Faber & Faber)
Jeanette Winterson (UK), "Frankissstein" (Jonathan Cape)