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A cross-Country book tour & workshop event
September 16 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
You’re Invited: Book Launch Reading, Workshop & Interactive Art Experience!
Join us at the gallery for a special evening on the cross-country book tour launch of two remarkable Canadian authors, Kevin Andrew Heslop and Joanna Cockerline!
The event begins with an immersive creative workshop led by both authors — an inspiring opportunity for writers, artists, and curious minds alike. Following the workshop, enjoy a live reading and discussion as Kevin and Joanna share from their newly published works.
Join us for an inspiring evening that blends storytelling, creative exploration, and tactile art.
The event will open with a reading featuring two writers sharing both fiction and non-fiction work (approximately 20 minutes each), followed by a Q&A and open discussion with the audience.
After the reading, participants are invited to take part in a writing workshop that will offer insights into both fiction and non-fiction writing. Attendees are encouraged to bring a notebook or laptop, as well as up to two pages of writing they would like to share and workshop in a supportive setting.
Complementing the literary experience is a collection of interactive art sculptures by Leslie Putnam. These tactile works—displayed on our book table—reflect themes of transformation and healing found in the readings. Attendees are welcome to touch, hold, and engage with the art throughout the evening.
Whether you’re a writer, a reader, or simply curious, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect through words and art.
Kevin Andrew Heslop presents The Writing on the Wind’s Wall, a compelling and tender inquiry into the experiences of those affected by Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in his hometown of London, Ontario. The book is shaped by family connections and a decade of deep conversations with writers and artists around the world.
Joanna Cockerline introduces Still, a gripping novel set on the streets of Kelowna, BC. It follows Kayla, who lives and works on the street, and Little Zoe, a sex trade worker who is missing. The story paints an intimate portrait of survival, community, and the search for home within oneself.
Free admission — no registration required.
Elora Centre for the Arts Gallery
Read more about the authors and their work below. Come be inspired!
Joanna Cockerline
Joanna Cockerline is a CBC Literary Awards (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) prizewinner who has been published in national and international journals and magazines such as Room, The Fiddlehead, and International Human Rights Arts, and the international short story collection Seeing Our Sisters. Joanna’s writing has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. A sought-after speaker who has delivered readings and workshops at literary festivals and events across the country, she has also given national keynote speeches and been interviewed on CBC.
Joanna earned her BA and MA in Literature at the University of Guelph and completed a graduate program at the Humber School for Writers with Booker Prize winner Peter Carey. Joanna lives with her family in unceded Syilx Okanagan Territory of Kelowna, BC, where she teaches literature and creative writing at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan.
Kevin Andrew Heslop
Musician, published poet, theatre-trained actor, award-winning filmmaker, independent curator, global arts journalist. Born 1992 in Canada. Currently in residence with Teatro Oficina.
As a journalist, Kevin has lived at artist residencies in Serbia, Finland, France, Denmark, Japan, and Brazil, documenting his travel with in-depth dialogues published by The Miramichi Reader, Centred Magazine, The Seaboard Review, Parrot Talks, and as Craft, Consciousness: Dialogues about the Arts (Guernica Editions, 2027 vol. i & 2028 vol. ii).