British Columbia-based author Joanna Cockerline is set to visit Yellowknife next week for a literary event at the city’s public library.
On March 21, Cockerline will host a reading of her debut novel Still at 1pm, followed by a creative writing workshop from 2-3pm. The afternoon will also include a book signing, with copies available for purchase.
Still follows Kayla, a young woman who flees a painful past and ends up in Kelowna, where she turns to sex work in order to survive. The book – longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize and named to the CBC Fall Reading List – is described as a story of “courage, community, resiliency and hope.”
“I wanted to write a novel that explores a spirit of survival and strength,” Cockerline said in a news release. “Still rewrites stereotypical ideas and what it means to find a home.”
Since the book’s launch in September, Cockerline has embarked on a cross-country book tour.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
She teaches literature, communications and creative writing at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and is a co-founder for JustUs Street Outreach, which supports unhoused people, especially those involved in sex work.
