Mootoo, Shani: - Shani Mootoo was born in Ireland and grew up in Trinidad. Her debut novel Cereus Blooms at Night was a finalist for the Giller Prize and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, as well as being a text studied in universities across the world. She is the author of several other works, the most recent of which Polar Vortex, was also a finalist for the Giller Prize. A filmmaker and visual artist, she has written and directed several videos; her paintings and photo-based works are exhibited internationally. She lives in Toronto, Canada.