Ahmad Danny Ramadan (Arabic: أحمد داني رمضان; born May 31, 1984) is a Syrian–Canadian novelist, public speaker, and LGBTQ-refugee activist who was born in Damascus, Syria. Ramadan's work focuses on themes of immigration, identity, diaspora and belonging. His debut novel, The Clothesline Swing, won multiple awards. The Foghorn Echoes won the 2023 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction.
Currently, Ramadan lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with his husband.
Writing
Early work
Ramadan has translated the work of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi to English, released in 2015 by Greystone Books under the title 1000 Lashes: Because I Say What I Think.
Ramadan published two collections of short stories in Arabic while he lived in Egypt. His first collection, Death and Other Fools, was released by Dar Laila in 2004. His second collection, Aria, was released by Dar Malameh in 2008.
The Clothesline Swing
The Clothesline Swing is Ramadan's debut novel in English. Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights, the novel tells the epic story of two lovers anchored to the memory of a dying Syria. One is a Hakawati, a storyteller, keeping life in forwarding motion by relaying remembered fables to his dying partner. Each night he weaves stories of his childhood in Damascus, of the cruelty he has endured for his sexuality, of leaving home, of war, of his fated meeting with his lover. Meanwhile, Death himself, in his dark cloak, shares the house with the two men, eavesdropping on their secrets as he awaits their final undoing.In its review, titled "The Sweetest Taboo", Winnipeg Free Press stated the author "has crafted a novel that compels readers to share — vicariously, with his characters — the beauty and history of Syria, the horrors of civil war and the joy, release, and pain of forbidden love." adding that the novel is "an enjoyable if challenging, cultural and historical excursion."
Publishers Weekly called the work "remarkable" stating that "Ramadan's delicate use of imagery links these narratives, allowing them to reverberate with meaning and emotion."
"This debut novel from the Vancouver-based Syrian writer reads as many things," wrote Kamal Al-Solaylee for Canadian magazine Quill and Quire, "a coming-out memoir, a history lesson, a critique of authoritarianism, a narrative about sharing narratives – but above all, it's a requiem for a dying country and people." The Globe and Mail called the novel "sombre, fantastical, violent and tender," adding that Ramadan's "English-language debut is a gay son's conflicted love letter to Syria."
The Georgia Straight called Ramadan's narration "fragmented, poetic, and rich with magic realism," adding that the novel "is a lesson in both artistic mastery and human resilience. And, unexpectedly: joy."
The Clothesline Swing won the Independent Publisher Book Awards' Golden Medal in the LGBT category, as well as the Canadian Authors Association's Fred Kerner Award for Best Overall Fiction Book in 2018, was picked among The Globe and Mail's 100 Best Books 2017, and was number 7 of the Toronto Star Top 10 Books of 2017. It was long listed on the CBC's Canada Reads 2018 contest, shortlisted to the Forest of Reading's Evergreen Award 2018, shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award Gay Fiction category in 2018, and longlisted for Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic.
The Clothesline Swing was translated to Hebrew and released in May 2018 as well as French, to be released in August 2019. The book was re-launched in the UK by British Publisher The Indigo Press.
Salma the Syrian Chef
His children's book, Salma the Syria Chef, was released in 2020 by Annick Press. The picture book tells the story of newcomer Salma whose mother is struggling to adjust to their new life in Canada. Salma decides to uplift her mother's spirit by cooking a traditional Syrian meal for her, with the help of their new friends in the Welcome Home they are living at.
“Salma is deeply relatable in her determination, frustration, and sensitivity, especially in moments when things do not go as planned," wrote Shannon Ozirny for Quill and Quire. The book was also positively reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, who stated, "This beautiful story grasps diversity, exploring resilience, love, friendship, and the meaning of home." Publishers Weekly praised the book's inclusive messages: "Ramadan writes with poetic immediacy about displacement, home, and family."