TV presenter Mel Giedroyc and journalist Dolly Alderton are among the writers shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize (CWIP).
The annual award highlights humorous writing from women and aims to boost female voices in all comedy genres, according to organisers.
Ahead of the ceremony in November, the six-strong shortlist has been released.
Former The Great British Bake Off host Giedroyc is nominated for The Best Things, her debut novel about a family who loses everything.
Alderton appears on the list with Ghosts, also her first novel.
Diksha Basu is nominated for Destination Wedding, a book about New Yorker Tina, who is determined to have an authentic Indian experience at her cousin’s wedding.
Jane Ions is another debut novelist on the list. She is nominated for Domestic Bliss.
Jesse Sutanto made the shortlist with Dial A For Aunties. The murder romcom has already been snapped up for an adaptation by Netflix.
And Lynne Truss is recognised for Murder By Milk Bottle, a murder mystery.
The CWIP shortlist for published comic novel is judged by Joanne Harris, Dame Maureen Lipman, Steph McGovern, Cathy Rentzenbrink, Nina Stibbe and Susan Wokoma.
Harris, chair of judges, said: “This is a fantastic shortlist, showcasing the tremendous breadth and diversity of women’s comic writing.
“From domestic disaster to murder most femme, this list offers something for everyone.”
The shortlist for unpublished comic novels includes the writers Hannah Dolby, Jo Lyons, Rebecca Rogers, Katherine Sumner-Ailes, Clare Ward-Smith and Emma Williams.
The published winner will receive £3,000 from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) while the unpublished winner will receive a publishing contract and a £5,000 advance from HarperFiction.