Anosh Irani, Katherena Vermette make Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize shortlist

Four novels and a short story collection have been named to the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize shortlist. The Canadian fiction prize comes with a cash award of $25,000.

Jurors Lauren B. Davis, Trevor Ferguson and Pasha Malla read 135 books to decide upon the five finalists.

Toronto author Michael Helm makes his third appearance on the prize shortlist for his book After James. Helm was nominated in 2004 for In the Place of Last Things and in 2010 for Cities of Refuge. After James is a story told in three parts, following a neuroscientist, poet and virologist, each charged with solving a mystery.

Vancouver writer and award-winning playwright Anosh Irani is on the shortlist for his novel The Parcel, which chronicles the life of a transgender sex worker in India. Irani's previous novels have made shortlists for the Man Asian Literary Prize, CBC's Canada Reads and the Governor General's Literary Award.

Winnipeg poet Katherena Vermette is a finalist for her debut novel The Break. The book unfolds in the aftermath of a vicious attack on a young Indigenous girl and follows the efforts of her family members to pull the pieces of accountability together. In 2012, Vermette won the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry for her first book, North End Love Songs.

Moncton-based writer Kerry Lee Powell is nominated for her first short story collection, Willem de Kooning's Paintbrush, which is currently also on the longlist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Written with dark humour and stunning prose, some of the book's stories have individually won prizes like the Boston Review short story contest and Malahat Review's Far Horizons Award for short fiction.

Victoria, B.C. writer Yasuko Thanh rounds out the shortlist with her debut novel, Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains. The historical novel follows a group of Vietnamese men plotting to overthrow French colonial rule in Saigon. Thanh has previously won the Journey Prize for her short story "Floating Like the Dead."

This year's winner will be announced on November 2. The 2015 winner was André Alexis for his novel Fifteen Dogs.

Each of the finalists will receive $2,500 for making the shortlist.