Writers Michael Frayn and Claire Tomalin have been nominated for the Whitbread Book Awards - the first time a married couple have made the shortlist.

They are not competing in the same category, however; Frayn is up for best novel for World War II book Spies, while Tomalin is competing for the biography prize with Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self.

Other authors up for the �5,000 novel prize are Booker Prize nominee William Trevor for The Story of Lucy Gault, Justin Cartwright for White Lightning and Tim Lott for Rumours of a Hurricane.

While the novel list is made up entirely of men, the biography category is an all-female affair.

Tomalin's work is competing against Ysenda Maxtone Graham's book about The Real Mrs Miniver, Miranda Carter's book about Anthony Blunt and Branda Maddox's work on Rosalind Franklin, the scientist said to have played a major role in the discovery of DNA.

Philip Pullman was last year's winner

There have been a record 447 entries for this year's awards, with the highest number of entries ever in the biography section.

The Whitbread Prize, which is now in its 31st year, is divided into five categories - novel, first novel, biography, poetry and children's book, with each winner receiving �5,000.

Judges include authors Joanna Trollope, poet Wendy Cope and Sunday Times fiction editor Peter Kemp.

The category award winners - including the children's winner - will be announced on Wednesday 8 January 2003.

Winner of the overall prize - the �25,000 Whitbread Book of the Year - will be announced on Tuesday 28 January 2003.

The Whitbread Book Award nominations

2002 Whitbread Novel Award shortlist

White Lightning - Justin Cartwright

Spies - Michael Frayn

Rumours of a Hurricane - Tim Lott

The Story of Lucy Gault - William Trevor

2002 Whitbread First Novel Award shortlist

The End of My Tether - Neil Astley

Homage to a Firing Squad - Tariq Goddard

The Impressionist - Hari Kunzru

The Song of Names - Norman Lebrecht

2002 Whitbread Poetry Award shortlist

Something for the Ghosts - David

The Ice Age - Paul Farley

Voodoo Shop - Ruth Padel

The Beautiful Lie - Sheenagh Pugh

2002 Whitbread Biography Award shortlist

Anthony Blunt: His Lives - Miranda Carter

Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA - Brenda Maddox

The Real Mrs Miniver - Ysenda Maxtone Graham

Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self - Claire Tomalin

2002 Whitbread Children's Book Award shortlist

Exodus - Julie Bertagna

Saffy's Angel - Hilary McKay

Sorceress - Celia Rees

Mortal Engines - Philip Reeve