An expansive examination of George Mallory and the quest to tackle Mount Everest, a look at tree-planting culture and a memoir blending the history of menswear with a man's recollection of his father are competing for the $25,000 Charles Taylor Prize for literary non-fiction.

Prize founder Noreen Taylor announced the nominees in Toronto Tuesday morning.

The full short list includes:

• Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest, by Wade Davis.
• Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe, by Charlotte Gill.
• The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit, by J.J. Lee.
• Afflictions and Departures: Essays, by Madeline Sonik.
• The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery, by Andrew Westoll.

This year's three-person jury includes journalist Stevie Cameron, editor Susan Renouf and Allan M. Brandt, dean of Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The trio first whittled down 115 submissions into an 11-book long list that organizers unveiled in mid-December.

Memoirs and man vs. nature

In his book Into the Silence, noted Canadian anthropologist, ethnobotanist and author Davis offers an incredibly detailed look at British mountaineer George Mallory's attempts to scale Mount Everest in the years following the First World War.

"With skill and insight, Davis explores the meaning of this valorous yet tragic climb for post-war Britain and the world," the Taylor jury said in its citation, praising the West Coast-based writer for infusing fresh details into the historic story by accessing previously untapped research sources.

A former professional tree-planter, Gill makes "the back-breaking work of planting more than a million seedlings sound like one of life’s essential adventures," the jury said, adding praise for the Vancouver author's careful balance of "science, business and friendship" in Eating Dirt.

In a tale "that is surprisingly unsentimental, Gill shares her love for Canada's boreal forests, the tragedy of their disappearances and the grueling work involved in replacing them."

Noreen Taylor, founder and chair of the Charles Taylor Prize for literary non-fiction, unveiled the shortlisted authors on Tuesday. (Tom Sandler/Charles Taylor Prize/Canadian Press)

Vancouver menswear columnist and radio producer Lee initially set out to explore sartorial history — first in a CBC Radio documentary, then in his debut book — through the act of remaking one of his former dandy father's suits for himself. However, The Measure of a Man soon morphed into a memoir delving into Lee's troubled relationship with his father and, eventually, his own role as parent.

"Beautifully crafted, Lee's memoir is a heartbreaking page-turner about a family, an abusive father and men’s fashion. Who could have thought these themes could work together?" the Taylor jury said.

Writer and University of Victoria instructor Sonik offers a departure from the traditional memoir with Afflictions and Departures, in which she "captures crystalline moments of childhood memory and links them in a daisy-chain with corresponding events of the tumultuous societal change taking place outside her home" during the 1960s and 1970s, the jury said in its citation.

"Droll, tragic, and absolutely compelling, Afflictions and Departures is a visceral portrayal of a family imploding."

Westoll rounds out the nominees with his compelling book The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, penned after he spent months volunteering at the lone Canadian facility for chimpanzees rescued from research labs, zoos and circuses. The Toronto author, who trained as a primatologist, paints a "heartrending and heart-warming" portrait of the rescue centre, from the chimps living there to the devoted humans who care for them, the jury said.

"This is a stunning and important work of art and documentary and science."

Shortlisted authors celebrated

The five finalists will take part in an author's brunch event in Toronto on March 4, with the 2012 Charles Taylor Prize winner to be revealed at a luncheon ceremony the following day.

The winning author will receive $25,000 and also be featured at Toronto's International Festival of Authors in October. The remaining finalists receive $2,000 each.

Established in memory of Canadian writer and former newspaper correspondent Charles Taylor, the prize celebrates the author of a book that "demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception."

Past recipients have included Richard Gwyn, Carol Shields, Ian Brown and Charles Foran.