Levy and Szalay beat big names onto Man Booker Prize shortlist

Ms Levy is the only one of the six contenders to have been previously shortlisted for prize, for her novel Swimming Home in 2012. As well as several novels, she has written short stories and more than 20 plays.

Hot Milk follows a woman and her daughter examining the nature of motherhood, against the backdrop of the search for a cure for a mysterious paralysis.

Critics described it as "powerful" and possessing "a dream-like narrative".

All That Man Is traces the story of nine different men, focusing on different stages of their lives.

Szalay was named as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2013.

The books on the shortlist cover a diverse range of subjects, from murder in 19th-century Scotland to classical music in revolutionary China.

Chair of judges, Dr Amanda Foreman, said: "As a group, we were excited by the willingness of so many authors to take risks with language and form.

"The final six reflect the centrality of the novel in modern culture - in its ability to champion the unconventional, to explore the unfamiliar, and to tackle difficult subjects."

This is the third year that the prize has been available to authors of any nationality

The winner will be announced on Tuesday October 25.