Chair of judges Roddy Doyle says the 13 ‘gripping’ titles in contention for the £50,000 award all ‘examine identity, individual or national’

The 13 titles nominated for the prestigious British literary award also include books by David Szalay, Maria Reva and Claire Adam.

Chair of judges Roddy Doyle says the 13 ‘gripping’ titles in contention for the £50,000 award all ‘examine identity, individual or national’

Former winner Kiran Desai leads a varied field, while Alan Hollinghurst misses out

Shortlist will be unveiled on 23 September, with the winner announcement to follow in November