Recent Press & Publications

Interview with Marissa Higgins in Literature Hub 5.10.24

In this wide-ranging conversation, Christina talks with fellow debut author Marissa Higgins about their experiences of writing queerness as queer women themselves, making art in the literary mainstream’s margins, and their aspirations for the future of queer and sapphic literature.

Plenitude Magazine reviews BROUGHTUPSY 4.29.24

Shannon Page raves about BROUGHTUPSY’s “lush prose” amid a plot which moves along at a “refreshingly brisk pace.”

Interview with CBC Books’ The Next Chapter 4.20.24

Ryan B. Patrick chats with Christina about BROUGHTUPSY’s Vancouver connections, how she defines “broughtupsy” for herself, and the delicate balance between queerness and Jamaicanness shown through her work.

Interview with Full Stop Magazine 4.16.24

Alex Madison connects with Christina to talk about the importance of sibling birth order on identity formation and the long journey to the publication of BROUGHTUPSY.

“The First Book” column for The Rumpus 4.10.24

As part of this monthly column, Christina delves into what inspired BROUGHTUPSY, how to face the sting of rejection, and what advice she has for emerging writers currently trying to find their way.

Interview with Wild Precious Life podcast 4.2.24

Christina joins host Annmarie Kelly to discuss cultural upbringings, the cruelty of children, the joys of weightlifting, and all the ways BROUGHTUPSY reveals the complexity of human relationships and our inherent worthiness for love.

CBC Radio’s Homestretch reviews BROUGHTUPSY 3.26.24

Anne Logan joins CBC Homestretch to share a bit about BROUGHTUPSY and the novel’s incredible ability to transport the reader into the thick of the heat of downtown Kingston.

Interview with Vogue 3.23.24

Vogue’s Emma Specter chats with Christina about grief, family, and the difficulties of going home as rendered in BROUGHTUPSY.

I’ve Read This reviews BROUGHTUPSY 3.21.24

The Canadian book review blog I’ve Read This gives BROUGHTUPSY a rave review, praising the novel for doing “fantastic job of evoking all the senses to ensure the reader feels included.”

The /tƐmz/ Review reviews BROUGHTUPSY 3.13.24

Marcie McCauley raves about BROUGHTUPSY’s “intersection between personal and inherited history” in what she hails as an “engaging and rewarding debut.”

Poets & Writers’ virtual reading 3.11.24

Christina reads the opening pages of BROUGHTUPSY alongside the other cohort members of the 2023 Get The Word Out publicity incubator administered by Poets & Writers.

Interview with Xtra Magazine 3.4.24

Xtra’s Lynette George chats with Christina about the process of writing BROUGHTUPSY, exploring immigrant narratives through literature, and the natural synergy between queerness and spirituality.

François Bereaud reviews BROUGHTUPSY 2.22.24

In this rave review, Bereaud praises BROUGHTUPSY as “a force” and a “must read”, describing it as “rich novel that takes us on a multifaceted journey though space, time, identity, sexuality, and the struggles of family.”

Jodi-Ann’s Lit Lounge Presents: BROUGHTUPSY 2.13.24

Jodi-Ann Burey (author of the forthcoming Authentic) interviews Christina about BROUGHTUPSY’s use of Jamaican patois, the richness of the novel’s sensory details, and the intimacy achieved between grief, family, sexuality, and belonging through the central story.

Interview with Karibbean Kollective 2.10.24

The online magazine Karibbean Kollective talks with Christina about the Caribbean influences throughout BROUGHTUPSY, her favorite things to do when she’s home in Jamaica, and what’s next for her artistic pursuits.

“Ready Fi Di Thumpin’”: Powell’s Playlist for BROUGHTUPSY 2.2.24

Christina takes us inside the the beats and melodies that energized BROUGHTUPSY, and gives us a glimpse into the ways music shapes her writing experience.

Interview with Brad Listi on otherppl podcast 1.31.24

Christina joins Brad Listi on the otherppl podcast to tell the “story behind the story” — how she drew inspiration from other immigrant narratives while writing BROUGHTUPSY, how the novel broadens the conversation by including queerness, and where she hopes her aspirations take her next. Available on Apple, Google, Spotify, and Amazon.

“Christina Cooke Explores the Power of Family and Home in BROUGHTUPSY”: interview with Open Book 1.29.24

Open Book chats with Christina about what tips and tricks she learned about the writing process during her years of drafting BROUGHTUPSY.

“Family and other quandaries”: British Columbia Review reviews BROUGHTUPSY 1.26.24

In this rave review, Jessica Poon highlights the novel’s “excellent” technical skill and its realistic representation of complicated sibling dynamics.

“Authors to Watch”: Christina Cooke on Shondaland 1.25.24

Christina chats with Shondaland’s Sarah Neilson about the joy, beauty, grief, and yearning that motivates the return to Jamaica at the heart of BROUGHTUPSY.

In the Debuti-Pod: Christina and Debutiful’s Adam Vitcavage talk BROUGHTUPSY 1.24.24

Christina joins the Debutiful podcast to discuss the many ways that writing and revising BROUGHTUPSY bettered not only her work but herself as a person, as well as the strange food addictions she developed while crafting her debut novel. Available on Apple and Spotify.

“I am a novelist, not a diarist”: interview with the Chicago Review of Books 1.24.24

Stephen Patrick Bell interviews Christina about the Jamaican influences that animate BROUGHTUPSY, such as Anancy and Miss Lou — the novel’s wily embodiment of Jamaican folklore.

Upcoming/Up & Coming: interview with Gays Reading podcast 1.18.24

Brett Benner and Jason Blitman chat with Christina about the generative tension between queerness and spiritually that undergirds a Jamaican novel like BROUGHTUPSY.

“Jamaican family saga examines what it means to be home”: Toronto Star reviews BROUGHTUPSY   1.18.24

“[T]alent is very much in evidence in BROUGHTUPSY," writes Robert Wiersema in this rave review, praising the novel’s artistic and technical mastery which “Cooke achieves with deceptive ease.”

“A Visit to Home”: Literary Review of Canada reviews BROUGHTUPSY  1.16.24

Caroline Noël praises the novel as “descriptive and intimate” as it “deftly” explores the “complex nature of belonging.”