Research in focus: Joanna Cockerline
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July 13, 2026
Name:
Joanna Cockerline
My pronouns:
she/her
Title:
Lecturer
Faculty/Department/Unit:
Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies and Faculty of Management (Joint Appointment)
Location:
Okanagan
Year I started working at UBC:
2011
Provide an overview of your research in 75 words or less:
I am a CBC Literary Awards prizewinner who teaches English, Communications, and Creative Writing, with research interests ranging from Canadian fiction and memoir to contemporary East African writing to intersectional feminisms. My new novel, Still (The Porcupine’s Quill, September 2025), has been nominated for the Giller Prize and shortlisted for the Rakuten Kobo Prize, and is a narrative of community, friendship, and resiliency set in the unhoused and street-level sex work communities of Kelowna, BC.
What first motivated you (or motivates you) to conduct your research?
People living unhoused and engaged in street-level sex work in BC and across Canada face numerous intersecting challenges, ranging from poverty and discrimination to addiction and mental health issues and much more—and each person has a unique story to tell. Still peels back the layers, goes beyond stereotypes, and compassionately explores the lives of those who are so often passed by.
What do you hope will change as a result of this research?
Researching for a novel that goes in depth into communities as Still does involves much listening and learning from voices that sometimes go unheard in mainstream discourses. I hope Still challenges the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding the diverse marginalized communities in the novel.
Describe any interesting research milestones you are approaching
The publication of the novel Still and its cross-Canada book tour mark an exciting milestone, as does the first anniversary of the founding of the non-profit organization JustUs Street Outreach, which I co-founded. After just one year, JustUs partnered with the UBCO School of Nursing, thanks to the UBC Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) and Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) grants, to collaborate on programs connecting with those living and working on Kelowna’s streets.
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