Man Booker Prize shortlist announced

The six writers who have made the Man Booker Prize 2014 shortlist have been revealed this morning. Up for the award are three British authors, two Americans and an Australian. It means that our own Joseph O'Neill and Niall Williams, who were announced as part of the longlist in July, are not in the running.
Here are the nominees:

To Rise Again At A Decent Hour – Joshua Ferris
The Narrow Road To The Deep North – Richard Flanagan
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves – Karen Joy Fowler
J – Howard Jacobson
The Lives Of Others – Neel Mukherjee
How To Be Both – Ali Smith
The 2014 Chair, AC Grayling, said:
"We are delighted to announce our international shortlist. As the Man Booker Prize expands its borders, these six exceptional books take the reader on journeys around the world, between the UK, New York, Thailand, Italy, Calcutta and times past, present and future.
"We had a lengthy and intensive debate to whittle the list down to these six.  It is a strong, thought-provoking shortlist which we believe demonstrates the wonderful depth and range of contemporary fiction in English."
The judges will now re-read the titles, with a winner of the £50,000 revealed on Tuesday October 14.
Two years ago, Will Self spoke to Hot Press about his Umbrella being shortlisted and the benefits of winning the most prestigious prize in international publishing.
Read his thoughts here