The awards formerly known as the Whitbreads have announced their shortlists, and though there's a decidedly male-centric slant, the Times somehow conflates this into a claim that "no female novelist has made the cut" when in fact, two - Stef Penney and Marilyn Heward Mills - did for debut novel. Granted, the main novel list - David Mitchell, Mark Haddon, Neil Griffiths and William Boyd - is woman-free, while the overall grouping has a decidely thriller-ish bent, but according to the Guardian's Sarah Crown, the whole thing's rather underwhelming.

The category winners will be announced on January 10 and each will win 5,000 pounds. The overall winner of the 25,000 pound prize will be named on February 7.