The shortlist of journalists for this year's Allen Wright Award, for writing about the Edinburgh Fringe, has been announced.

The winner will be revealed tonight at an exclusive invitation-only party.

The shortlist of nominees comprises: Dan Bye, Stephan Phelan and Graeme Virtue, all of the Sunday Herald, Susan Mansfield and James Smart, of The Scotsman, James Lyon and Helen Pidd, of FEST, Maureen Ellis and Mark Robertson, from The List and Duska Radoskavijec Heaney, of The Stage.

The award is intended to extend the late Allen Wright's interest by encouraging quality writing in the field of arts journalism.

The Award was established in 1998 by the Festival Fringe Society in memory of Allen Wright, adistinguished journalist, who was arts editor of the Scotsman for thirty years and set up the Fringe First Award scheme. He was a passionate supporter of the Fringe and a great encourager of young talent.

This year there will be two prizes in each of two categories. The first category will be for reviews and the second category will be for previews and other coverage. There will be two cash prizes of £750 and each winner will be presented with a commemorative award.

Entrants for the award must be aged thirty or younger and were required to submit up to three pieces of published work of a minimum 100 words relating to the current year's Fringe.

This year's judges are Professor Ian Brown, Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh; journalist and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe; Fringe director Paul Gudgin; journalist Joyce Macmillan; writer Douglas Maxwell; producer Guy Masterson and Louise McNaught, festivals manager for Edinburgh University.

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