Personal belongings sit at the base of a mural in downtown Kelowna.
Behind Kelowna’s well-known image as a destination city are quieter, untold stories of resilience, friendship and survival. These are at the heart of Still, the first novel by UBC Okanagan’s Joanna Cockerline.
A lecturer in UBCO’s Faculty of Management and Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Cockerline based her writing on volunteer work she did with the unhoused and sex worker communities in the Okanagan Valley.
It’s a moving, character-driven novel that follows Kayla, who lives and works on the streets, and Little Zoe, a sex worker who has gone missing.
Alongside teaching at UBC Okanagan, Cockerline is a CBC Literary Awards prize winner with work published in Room, The Fiddlehead, enRoute and International Human Rights Arts. Her writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and she completed her literary training at the University of Guelph and the Humber School for Writers.
Here, Cockerline discusses Still, and why sharing stories of marginalized populations matters.
What’s the inspiration behind the book?
I have always been inspired by stories of resilience and hope, and there is so much of both among people living and working on the streets. The novel also explores mental health and addiction—sites of tremendous pain and hope. The stories came alive for me through my own experiences, people I have met over the decades and recent outreach work.
How and why did you get involved as an outreach worker?
I started volunteering with HOPE Outreach in 2017. After the organization closed, I started a non-profit, JustUs Street Outreach, with my outreach partner Tasha. It supports all individuals on the streets, with a focus on those involved with street-level sex work.
What inspired the story and the characters?
The stories and characters are swirled together with pieces of my own experience, of people I have known, stories I have heard on the streets, and my imagination. While no character is based on a real person, some include fragments of real people—friends who are thrilled to see parts of themselves in the book. The book is partly dedicated to them, including some in memory.
Now that it’s published, what is next for you?
The book’s release is followed by a cross-Canada tour, with readings and events in BC, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland in September and October, including stops at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival and the Ryga Arts Festival.
The tour continues across Western, Central and Northern Canada in May and June next year. I’d planned a North America-wide tour, but given the current political climate, I’m focusing on Canada for now—with international stops planned for the future.
I am excited to share Still and hope it resonates with many—shining a light on the importance of community, friendship and hope no matter where and how someone lives.
The Kelowna book launch takes place at Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art, in the rotary Centre for the Arts, on September 19 at 7 pm. All are welcome at this free event.
