THE Scottish writer Ali Smith is in the running for one of the most prestigious prizes in literature, the Man Booker Prize.

Her novel How to Be Both has been shortlisted for the award, which for the first year is open to all authors writing in English.

It is the third time the writer, from Inverness, has been in the running for the prize, which is worth £50,000.

Also on the shortlist is Howard Jacobson, who is in the running to be the first British man to win twice.

Joshua Ferris, Richard Flanagan, Karen Joy Fowler, Jacobson, Smith and Neel Mukherjee are on the short list revealed by chair of judges, AC Grayling.

The judges praised the "depth and range" of the list, which includes writers from Britain, the United States and Australia. It has expanded its criteria this year, opening it up to authors writing in English from all corners of the globe rather than only writers from Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe.

The shortlist of six, taken from a longlist of 13, is: Joshua Ferri, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour; Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North; Karen Joy Fowler, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves; Howard Jacobson, J; Neel Mukherjee, The Lives of Others and Ali Smith's How to be Both.

Grayling said: "As the Man Booker Prize expands its borders, these six exceptional books take thereader 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."

Jacobson won the award with The Finkler Question, in 2010. Ali Smith has been shortlisted for The Accidental (2005) and Hotel World (2001).

Man Group has sponsored the prize since 2002. The Man Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize, started in 1969.