Orange Prize longlist features past winner Helen Dunmore

Former winner Helen Dunmore is among the contenders for this year's UK Orange Prize For Fiction.

Her novel The Siege is included on the 20-strong longlist for the women-only award.

The shortlist will revealed on April 30 and the winner announced at a ceremony in London on June 11.

Dunmore won in 1996 for A Spell Of Winter.

The longlist also includes Chocolat author Joanne Harris for Five Quarters Of The Orange.

The prize, worth £30,000, is the UK's richest annual fiction award.

It is given to the best novel of the year written in English by a woman.

Radio 4's former Today presenter Sue MacGregor, who is chairwoman of the judges, said: "All of these books absorbed and entertained us.

"Each judge has their favourite, but several novels are already outstanding contenders for the Orange prize.

"It's been hugely rewarding to discover so many fine and talented writers relatively fresh on the scene."

The full list is:

Kitty Aldridge, Pop

Anna Burns, No Bones

Jennifer Clement, A True Story Based On Lies

Stevie Davies, The Element Of Water

Helen Dunmore, The Siege

Maggie Gee, The White Family

Lesley Glaister, Now You See Me

Joanne Harris, Five Quarters Of The Orange

Chloe Hooper, A Child's Books Of True Crime

Elizabeth McCracken, Niagara Falls All Over Again

Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life Of Bees

Joyce Carol Oates, Middle Age

Kathy Page, The Story Of My Face

Ann Patchett, Bel Canto

Nani Power, Crawling At Night

Lily Prior, La Cucina

Anita Rau Badami, The Hero's Walk

Emma Richler, Sister Crazy

Rachel Seiffert, The Dark Room

Sarah Waters, Fingersmith