Rana Dasgupta, a British writer of Indian origin who now lives in India, has been short-listed for what is considered the world's biggest award for a single short story.
Dasgupta's first novel, Tokyo Cancelled, was published in 2005.
The National Short Story Prize, worth £15,000 was launched at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2005, and aims to do for the short story what the Booker does for the novel.
Unlike the Scotsman and Orange Short Story Award, it is open only to previously published writers.
Others short-listed are Michel Faber for his story The Safehouse (taken from The Fahrenheit Twins published by Canongate last year), William Trevor, the Irish elder statesman of the form who was knighted for services to literature in 2002, James Lasdun and Rose Tremain.
{{/usCountry}}Others short-listed are Michel Faber for his story The Safehouse (taken from The Fahrenheit Twins published by Canongate last year), William Trevor, the Irish elder statesman of the form who was knighted for services to literature in 2002, James Lasdun and Rose Tremain.
{{/usCountry}}All five short stories can be heard on Radio 4 next week at 11.30 p.m.
The overall winner will be announced at a ceremony here May 15.