The six shortlisted novels for the 2009 Man Booker Prize 2009, shown in London Tuesday. (Matt Dunham/Associated Press)Celebrated authors J.M. Coetzee and A.S. Byatt lead the race for the 2009 Man Booker Prize.

Organizers of the prestigious literary honour announced the finalists for the prize, the equivalent of about $85,600 Cdn, in London, England, on Tuesday.

Past winners Coetzee, of South Africa, and Britain's Byatt made the cut with their latest novels, Summertime and The Children's Book, respectively. However, they face strong competition from the quartet of British writers rounding out the list of finalists:

• Adam Foulds, The Quickening Maze.
• Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall.
• Simon Mawer, The Glass Room.
• Sarah Waters, The Little Stranger.

Journalist and this year's judging chair, James Naughtie, described the finalists as "writers on the top of their form."

The writing of the shortlisted six features "thundering narrative, great inventiveness, poetry and sharp human insight in abundance," he said.

The winner will be announced a London awards ceremony on Oct. 6.

The Man Booker Prize celebrates the year's best English-language novel by a writer from the U.K., Ireland or the Commonwealth

Coetzee is a double winner (in 1999 for Disgrace and 1983 for Life and Times of Michael K), while Byatt won in 1990 for Possession.

Other recipients over the years include Aravind Adiga (The White Tiger), Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day) and Salman Rushdie (Midnight's Children). Canadians who have scored the honour include Yann Martel (Life of Pi), Margaret Atwood (The Blind Assassin) and Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient ).