The long list for a Scottish book prize for novels set 60 years ago or more has been revealed.
Fifteen books, including The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis and novels by Damon Galgut, Esther Freud and others are on the longlist for the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction.
The long list is being published for the first time since the award was established five years ago.
The prize is funded by the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, who are distant relatives of Sir Walter Scott.
The winner will receive £25,000.
Pprevious winners of the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction are Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2010), The Long Song by Andrea Levy (2011), On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry (2012), The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (2013), and An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris (2014).
The award's definition of an "historical" novel is where the "majority of events described take place at least 60 years ago."
This definition comes from Walter Scott's subtitle for Waverley: 'Tis Sixty Years Since'.
A shortlist announcement event in London will be held on March 24.
Longlisted novels include Amis's work, set in a Nazi death camp, The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry, The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, The Lie by Helen Dunmore, Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre, In the Wolf's Mouth by Adam Foulds, Mr Mac and Me by Esther Freud, Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut, Wake by Anna Hope, The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth, The Undertaking by Audrey Magee, A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamshie, The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak, The Ten Thouands Things by John Spurling and The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters.
The prize money is one of the highest in the UK: The Booker Prize winner is given a prize of £50,000 and the winner of the Costa book award wins £30,000.
Alistair Moffat, chair of the judges, said: "Even at long list stage, we found ourselves vexed at the selection we had to make from the record number of entries this year (124).
"The quality of the historical novels published in 2014 has been exceptional, and writers, whether inspired by landmark anniversaries, or encouraged by the reading public's growing appetite for good books set in the past, have produced an extraordinary array of time-machine novels this year.
The winner will be announced at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose in Scotland, on June 13.
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