you are only here
to learn from those who came before
and make space
for those who come after
Procession: a line of people moving in the same direction; a formal ceremony or celebration, as in a wedding, a funeral, a religious parade. Bestseller and Governor General's Award–winner Katherena Vermette's third collection presents a series of poems reaching into what it means to be at once a descendant and a future ancestor, exploring the connections we have with one another and ourselves, amongst friends, and within families and Nations.
In frank, heartfelt poems that move through body sovereignty and ancestral dreams, and from '80s childhood nostalgia to welcoming one's own babies, Vermette unreels the story of a child, a parent, and soon, an elder, living in a prairie place that has always existed, though looks much different to her now. This book is about being one small part of a large genealogy. A lineage is a line, and the procession, whether in celebration or in mourning, is ongoing. Procession delves into what it means to make poems and to be an artist, to be born into a body, to carry it all, and, if you're very lucky, age.
be a good ancestor
be a good kid
At once descendants and future ancestors, Procession explores the connections we have with ourselves, with friends, and within families and Nations.
• LONG ANTICIPATED COLLECTION: Katherena Vermette's previous collection of poems, river woman (House of Anansi; 2018), received widespread critical acclaim and has sold over 7,000 copies since its release. Her debut collection, North End Love Songs (The Muses' Company; 2013), was awarded the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 2013.
• ICONIC AUTHOR: Katherena Vermette's poetry and novels have been met with critical and commercial success around the globe. Her debut novel, The Break (House of Anansi; 2016) was a finalist for CBC's Canada Reads in 2017. It was also shortlisted for the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Award for Fiction, among many other accolades. It has sold over 95,000 copies worldwide.
• LOOKING FORWARD AND BACKWARD: The poems featured in Procession muse on the nature of aging, of belonging, of nostalgia, and of the ceaseless march of time.
