Nick Cave's salacious second novel The Death Of Bunny Munroe, has been shortlisted for the annual Bad Sex Award, which acclaims the 'finest' trembly-typed fornicatory fiction of the past 12 months.

Cave's novel, which features lengthy discourse upon the nature of Avril Lavigne's vulva and a passage involving the clearing of Bunny's custard and an expiring, scantily clad heroin addict, will be up against work by established writers such as Paul Theroux and Philip Roth.

Canongate, no doubt mindful of the excellent publicity, said they weren't fussed by the nomination: "Frankly we would have been offended if he wasn't shortlisted," a spokeswoman told the Guardian.