DENTISTS, psychologists, a bus driver and a farmer are just some of the diverse range of budding authors who have taken up the chance to get published.

The Northern Echo is running a competition to find its New Novelist of the Year with the winner being offered a contract to work with top literary agent, Caroline Sheldon.

Now the final 16 - increased from 15 because of the impressive selection of entries - on the shortlist can be named.

They are: Graham Rhodes, Jazz Detective; Ian Saunderson, Honour & Duty; Eileen Elgey, Whose Fault Is It, Anyway? ; Dick Curran, The Goat Doctor; Mark Burrell, Icarus Fell; Carine Sunter, All The Young Dudes; Judy Walker, Frankie; Ruth Henderson, The Mangle and the Mandolin; K Hayton, A Queen Too Many; Tony Glover, White Magick; DB Court, The Crow Painter's Wife; George Crowe, Determined Lives; Margaret Lewis, Voyages, Voyagers; Pru Heathcote, No Expectations - Mrs Joe's Story; Anthony Scully, Ben and the Bartle Giant and Suzanne Hunton, The Kept Man.

After entrants submit a further two chapters, our judges - Lindsay Jennings, Features Editor of The Northern Echo, Northern Echo columnist Sharon Griffiths, authors GP Taylor and Wendy Robertson, and agent Caroline Sheldon - will pick a winner to be announced in The Northern Echo on Tuesday, February 27.