The shortlist of top Australian wordsmiths has been released in the lead up to the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

Australia’s own Enid Blyton or Franz Kafka could be on the list, the winning writer will share in a total prize pool of $595,000 the top prize in each of six categories is a payout of $80,000.

The Prime Minister and Arts Minister have commended the quality and diversity of entries, noting the evolving richness of Australia's literary sector. This year’s prize has seen poetry (the newest award category) firmly established receiving 65 entries, a significant increase on 2012.

The shortlists for the 2013 prize are available here.