Finalists set for Orange fiction prize

American writer Patricia Wood and two other first-time novelists are among six finalists for the Orange Prize for fiction by women.

Wood, 54, is nominated for her debut novel, “Lottery,” the tale of a jackpot winner that was inspired by her own father’s $6-million win in the Washington State lottery.

The two other first novels on the list of finalists announced Tuesday: “The Outcast” by Britain’s Sadie Jones and “Lullabies for Little Criminals” by Canadian writer Heather O’Neill.

The other nominees are France-based Canadian Nancy Huston for “Fault Lines,” Britain’s Charlotte Mendelson for “When We Were Bad” and British novelist Rose Tremain for “The Road Home.”

The $60,000 prize is open to any novel by a woman published in English. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on June 4.