Carol Ann Duffy is nominated for her collection of verse, The Bees.

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy up for Galaxy book prize

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is among those shortlisted for the Galaxy National Book Awards 2011.

Also up for UK author of the year are Booker nominees Julian Barnes and Carol Birch, plus Andrea Levy, Anthony Horowitz, and Alan Hollinghurst.

The awards, hosted by Dara O Briain, will be accompanied by six weekly TV programmes on More4.

Dawn French and Terry Pratchett are among those nominated for popular fiction book of the year.

Popular non-fiction titles in the running include Kate McCann's Madeleine, Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Woman and Brian Cox's Wonders of the Universe.

Claire Tomalin's Charles Dickens biography features alongside the likes of Keith Richards' Life and Bear Grylls' Mud Sweat and Tears in the biography and autobiography category.

The awards largely celebrate British authors, with the exception of international author of the year and paperback of the year.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in London on 4 November.