Queanbeyan author Omar Musa is among the four authors shortlisted for the 2015 ACT Book of the Year Award after almost missing out on the chance to enter the competition earlier in the year.
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Musa, shortlisted for his first novel Here Come the Dogs, will be up against Mark Henshaw for The Snow Kimono, Jono Lineen for Into the Heart of the Himalayas, and Sam Vincent for Blood and Guts: Dispatches from the Whale Wars.
In July the ACT government rejected Musa's first application for the $10,000 prize as he had not made strong enough claims showing his connection to the ACT arts community in the past two years.
He was later allowed to resubmit his application.
Arts Minister Joy Burch said the 24 books entered in the competition covered a range of genres including fiction, poetry and non-fiction, and the books were considered for their excellence in literature and contribution to the writing sector.
"As always, the standard of work this year was incredibly high, which is testament to the great writing talent we have here in the ACT and surrounding region," she said.
"I encourage everyone to read each of this year's shortlisted books and to enjoy the mystery, honesty, intrigue and entertainment of each of the stories, and then to cast their vote in the People's Choice, which was initiated last year and will be presented again in 2015."
Musa's novel, inspired by the 2003 Canberra bushfires, centres on three young men: Solomon, his half-brother Jimmy, one Samoan, the other unaware who his father is, and Aleks, the Macedonian.
In March it featured on the Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist.
Henshaw's psychological thriller tells the story of a retired French police inspector and Japanese law professor who meet in Paris and share memories of desire, ambition and loss.
It won a NSW Premier's Literary Award in May.
Lineen's travel book charts his odyssey walking the length of the Western Himalayas alone, from Pakistan to Nepal.
While ANU researcher and travel writer Vincent spent time on Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin to tell both sides of the ongoing battle against whaling in his book.
Ms Burch said the award provided a platform for writers at all stages of their careers and aimed to support the development of ACT-based writers and promote writing in the ACT.
The book of the year and People's Choice award will be announced in December 2015.
