eat salt | gaze at the ocean explores the themes of Black sovereignty, Haitian sovereignty, and Black lives, using the Haitian (original) zombie as a metaphor for the condition and treatment of Black bodies. Interspersed with information about zombies, Haiti, and policies is the author’s personal narrative of growing up Black and Haitian of immigrant parents on stolen land. The collection is divided into two sections: the first half focusses on zombies, while the second focusses on the ocean/water and the violent crossing experienced by enslaved folks. The book’s title refers to the “cure” for reversing the process of becoming a zombie.

Junie Désil, born to Haitian immigrant parents in Montréal and raised in Winnipeg, has devoted over two decades to empowering communities made marginalized. With a background in supporting women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Junie's work spans human resources, leadership, and community engagement.An accomplished poet, her debut collection, *eat salt | gaze at the ocean* (2020), was a finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize and explores themes of Black sovereignty and the Haitian diaspora. Currently residing on the Traditional Territories of the Homalco, Tla'amin, and Klahoose, Junie is the Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation at Vancity.Junie's second poetry collection, *allostatic load*, delves into personal and collective experiences of stress, coping mechanisms, and the journey towards healing. She mentors emerging writers at Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio. Beyond her professional life, Junie enjoys writing, coaching, consulting, and raising goats.

Junie Désil's profile page

• Short-listed, Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize (BC and Yukon Poetry Prizes)

"Poignant."
—BC Booklook

~||~ "Désil intersperses her personal story of growing up Black and Haitian in Canada with snippets from fictions, newspaper articles, dictionaries and judicial papers, creating a multi-layered exploration that is as political as it is personal."
—Tyee

~||~ “[Désil] … tell[s] not only her story but the story of millions before her … Racism is ALIVE. It is time to sink or swim for survival, and this collection is swimming lessons on dry land as we absorb them during lockdown.”
—Ormsby Review

~||~