Novelist Shani Mootoo who was born in  Ireland to Trinidadian parents, is one of  the five recently announced finalists for the 2020  Scotiabank Giller Prize.

Mootoo’s Polar Vortex is  one of three novels shortlisted for the  $100,000  Prize, the biggest in Canadian  literature.

“A keen meditation on the complexities of identity and desire, Polar Vortex is the unsettling examination of a failing marriage,” says the jury citation.

Mootoo who grew up in Trinidad, and lives in Canada, holds a  fine arts degree  from the University of  Western Ontario, writes fiction and poetry, and is a visual artist whose work has been exhibited locally and internationally.

The two other novels on the shortlist are Ridgerunner by Gil Adamson, and The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel.

Two short story collections have also made the shortlist – Here the Dark by  David Bergen  and How to Pronounce Knife  by Souvankham Thammavongsa.

The shortlist was selected from 118 books that were submitted for consideration.

The winner of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize will be announced in a virtual awards ceremony on Monday, Nov. 9.

The ceremony will be hosted by actor Eric McCormack and will feature musical guest Diana Krall.