American writer Percival Everett is the only male among this year’s finalists announced in London this week for his Mark Twain ode ‘James’

This year's Booker Prize shortlist features more women than ever before, and "it's the strongest in years", said Johanna Thomas-Corr in The Times. Five of the six books to make "the cut" are written by female authors – a stark departure from last year's list that saw men with the name Paul (Paul Murray,

Five women and one man are finalists for the prestigious Booker Prize, with authors from Australia, the Netherlands, Britain, Canada, and the US

Twelve books have been boiled down to six. Where in previous years a winner would have been obvious by now, this year, we have a proper two-horse race – both Americans. Will it be Percival Everett with James,