A sardonic, stinging wake-up call to the complexities of modern existence

The Fleece Era is Yukon-based, UK-born Joanna Lilley's first book of poems: a wry and eloquent testament to the intricacies of our various relationships. From the shattered pieces of our environmental puzzles to the labyrinth of family dynamics, Lilley makes these dilemmas come alive. Chillingly sparse, attractively odd and refreshingly frank, The Fleece Era embraces the complexities of human life with an unsettling mix of the sardonic and the compassionate.

On Sunday, my mother made me

help her dig the garden.
She sat back on the heels
of her rubber boots, muddying
the backside of her old blue trousers.

She said: Last week I stuck a fork
into the soil and heard a scream.
She'd stabbed a frog.
She definitely heard it scream.

I was the first person she'd told.
— from "Biology lesson"

Joanna Lilley has lived north of the 60th parallel in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, since she emigrated from the UK in 2006. Her poetry collection, The Fleece Era, was published by Brick Books in 2014 and her short fiction collection, The Birthday Books, will be published by Hagios Press in their Strike Fire New Author Series in 2015. Joanna's poems and stories have been published in journals and anthologies in Canada, the US and the UK, including The Malahat Review, The New Quarterly, Grain, The Fiddlehead and The Antigonish Review. Her awards include first prize in the 2005 Lothian Life poetry contest and first prize in the 2004 Worldwise regional creative writing competition. Joanna has a MLitt degree in creative writing from the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde and is a Humber School for Writers graduate. In 2011 and 2013, she received Advanced Artist Awards from the Government of Yukon. With diplomas in plain language editing and journalism, Joanna earns her living as a public sector communications professional.

Joanna Lilley's profile page

"At times chilling in its honesty, The Fleece Era nevertheless embraces the complexities of human life with warmth and passion." - Adebe DeRango-Adem, Quill and Quire

"Joanna Lilley brushes aside her sensitivities and concerns and adopts a comical tone that is (self-)critical of tropes associated with historical and economical privilege, bringing about a marvelous effect, and this crafty poetic approach amid our obsession with everything North is to be found throughout her collection." - Garry Thomas Morse, Jacket 2

"The Fleece Era contains some beautiful poetry, but has a narrative ease to it that will appeal to readers who don't usually read poetry. The writing is taut yet deep, brimming with energy and openness." - The Literary Press Group