Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.
Rachel: Today we’re joined by Joanna Cockerline, author of Still. Joanna, can you tell us a little about your latest book?
Joanna: Still is the story of Kayla, who is living and working on the streets of Kelowna, BC, Canada, and of Little Zoe, a woman in the sex trade who is missing. Set in a vibrant and diverse community of people living on the streets, the novel explores sex work, living unhoused, the opioid crisis, friendship, what it means to survive, and what it means to find a home—especially within one’s self.
As Kayla—whose past is darker than she tells—searches for her missing friend, she also uncovers much about her own life. The novel delves into both the pain and resiliency of childhood, with flashbacks to Kayla’s past with horses and how she came to be on the streets. Kayla also becomes friends with an outreach worker whose outwardly picture-perfect life belies her struggles with postpartum depression, alcohol abuse, and bipolar, and who yearns to rediscover her passion for photography and share its magic with Kayla.
The narrative considers what home means, how different forms of community are possible, and how we can tell the stories that are ourselves.
Still asks questions about what it means to be missing and what we can—and cannot—go back to. Ultimately, Still is a story of community, friendship, resilience, and hope.
Rachel: That sounds like an intense and fascinating premise for a novel. Is it drawn from your own life?
Joanna: Still is inspired in part by some of my own experiences as well as experiences as a longtime street outreach volunteer, and co-founder of a street outreach organization that focuses on people involved in the street-level sex trade. The novel is a testament to strength and resiliency, despite the struggles people many face. Still is dedicated to people I know who live, or have lived, on the street, including some in memory, and I want to do them justice.
Rachel: If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?
Joanna: To Kayla, the protagonist of Still – an 18 year-old living and working on the streets – I would say “keep going”, in so many ways.
Rachel: Who is your favourite fictional character someone else wrote? And why?
Joanna: I admire the strength of Sethe in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, as she stood by herself as she faced impossible situations.
Rachel: Who is your favourite character you’ve written, and why?
Joanna: The character of Little Zoe–the missing woman in Still–is kind, magnetic, savvy, and enigmatic. She came to life as I was writing her, and lives on for me far beyond the page.
Rachel: Is your work more plot-driven or character-driven? Or a secret, third thing?
Joanna: While Still is character-driven, it also embodies a vivid sense of place—as though the streets and the Okanagan Valley are living, breathing characters too. Still also celebrates the small moments of beauty that are possible despite–or because of—difficulty, and the magic that can be found in small things that sometimes go unnoticed unless you lean in close.
I wrote it for the people who lived it, hoping to do them justice. Many of them have read it and love it, which makes my heart happy. I also hope it will be appreciated by anyone who enjoys literary fiction, who appreciates stories of the underdog, who is captivated by mystery, and who has known struggle in its various forms.
Rachel: What’s your next writing project?
Joanna: Many readers have wondered if there will be a sequel to Still, and that’s what I’m working on now. The characters came alive for me and had more to say, more to live.
Rachel: Tell us where the Night Beats community can find you and find your work!
Still is available in stores and online, wherever books are sold. Supporting local independents is always great! If it is not in stock, it can be ordered.
You can follow me on Instagram @joanna.e.cockerline or check out my website (which includes dates and locations for my cross-Canada tour) on www.joannacockerline.com.
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