Portland author Lily King is one of six authors on the shortlist for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction.

King was nominated for her novel “Heart the Lover,” about a college love triangle that is reignited years later.

“I’m just really shocked and honored and grateful to be on this list with these extraordinary writers. Many of my favorite authors have won or been shortlisted for this prize:  Kate Grenville, Ali Smith, Elizabeth Strout, Shirley Hazzard, Zadie Smith, Ann Patchett, Marilyn Robinson, Jane Gardam, Jhumpa Lahiri, Elif Batuman, Rachel Cusk, Anne Enright—all writers who have shaped and inspired me,” King wrote in an email.

The prize was established in 1996 as a way to highlight the imbalance in coverage and respect given to women writers compared to men and to create “a platform for exceptional writing by women to shine,” according to the Women’s Prize Trust, based in London. The shortlist was announced Wednesday.

The winner will be announced June 11 and the prize comes with a monetary award of £30,000, or about $40,500. Some previous winners include Yael van der Wouden, Barbara Kingsolver, Maggie O’Farrell, Zadie Smith and Ann Patchett.

The other books and authors on the shortlist this year include: “Flashlight” by Susan Choi: “Dominion” by Addie E. Citchens; “The Correspondent”  by Virginia Evans; “The Mercy Step” by Marcia Hutchinson; and “Kingfisher” by Rozie Kelly.

When the Women’s Prize for Fiction’s longlist of 16 books and authors was announced in early March, King posted on Instagram about it being an honor she had dreamed of.

“This list has introduced me to so many INCREDIBLE authors over the decades. I always track this prize, have dreamed for years about having a book on this list,” King wrote.

The chair of judges for the award is Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia, who said in a release Wednesday that the authors on the shortlist don’t “shy away from examining life’s challenges.”

 “‘Heart the Lover’  by Lily King takes us from first love and the intellectual fervour of youth to the sobering realities of middle age and loss,” Gillard said in the release. “In three parts, this novel gives us slices of life and distills what really matters. It’s beautifully rendered, with an emotionally powerful ending that will stay with you.”

King’s other books include “Five Tuesdays in Winter,” “Writers & Lovers,” “Euphoria,” “Father of the Rain,” “The English Teacher” and “The Pleasing Hour.”