Danny Ramadan Books In Order

Publication Order of The Salma Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Danny Ramadan is a bestselling Syrian-Canadian fantasy, lesbian, and gay fiction author who also doubles up as an LGBTQ-refugees advocate.
Apart from his many award-winning novels, his essays and short stories have appeared in publications across Europe and North America.

Ever since he moved to Canada from Syria, he has managed to raise more than $300,000 meant to assist refugees who identify as LGBTQ+.

As for how he started writing, Danny Ramadan has been doing it ever since he was ten years old when he had one of his poems published in a Damascus children’s magazine.
While there was hardly anyone he knew who was interested in writing while growing up, he was always drawn to short stories.

Nonetheless, while he never inherited any writing prowess, he internalized his father’s voice which was all about toxic masculinity, and his mother who told him to doubt who he was.
He was 17 when he first told his family he was gay and everything changed. Ejected from home, he slept on friends’ couches and on the streets until he got his own place.

During this time, he became very observant about everything around him as he needed to given that he had no support whatsoever.

It was important he was observant so that he could navigate the complicated dynamics around him and survive.

When he was 20, he had his first collection of short stories published in Egypt. It was this success that would be his breakout moment as he began getting job offers from Egypt where he lived for seven years.

In 2010, Danny Ramadan moved back to Syria as the Civil War caused all manner of national unrest.

Back home, he started running an undercover center for LGBTQ+ Syrians and his naive venture would soon land him in prison for one and a half months.

When he was finally let go from prison, the Syrian government declared him personal non grata and he became a refugee and moved to Lebanon.
While he always dreamed of one day becoming a successful author, writing did not offer much in terms of income in the early days.

He would thus become a journalist to make ends meet and several years later, he got a job reporting on the refugee crisis in the Middle East for The Washington Post. He still looks back fondly on those days as a reporter, which he did for three years.
Ramadan spent hours dissecting massacres, interviewing rebels, and counting bodies on YouTube videos, most times for articles that would never be published.

As part of a larger machine, he never felt like he had his own voice which he loved having when he was doing creative writing. In 2014, he moved to Vancouver and went to the University of British Columbia where he got his creative writing MFA.

Danny Ramadan has also become a well-known public speaker and educator. He has been a writer in residence at the University of Toronto, the Haig Brown House, and the Saskatoon Public Library.

In his talks, he usually focuses on the complex relationship between the intersectional identity of the author and the craft tools of writing. “The Refugee Tree” his TEDTalk came out in 2016 and has become one of his most popular talks.
He has presented at writers’ festivals and conferences across the globe and occasionally teaches creative writing in different genres and forms at universities in Canada.

As an advocate, he is the founder and organizer of the “An Evening in Damascus,” an annual fundraiser for LGBTQ+ Syrian refugees.

For his activism, he has been honored with several humanitarian awards and named on the list of 2017 Top Immigrants to Canada.

He has also received an Adler University honorary doctorate and got a UBC in creative writing MFA.

He currently makes his home in Vancouver, where he lives with Matthew his husband, and Dolly and Freddie their two dogs.

“Salma Makes a Home” by Danny Ramadan introduces the lead as a girl named Salma. She lives with her mother in Canada and cannot wait for the day when her father will get his immigration papers so that he can leave Syria and come to Canada.
It has been almost two years since they last saw each other and Slama is overjoyed to learn that her father is finally enroute to Canada. However, she tells Riya her friend that she is scared, even if she is also very happy.
What if it turned out that her father hated living in Canada or started missing her grandparents like she missed him?

Thankfully, her father is happy to be reunited with his family but he misses Syria and is often homesick.

Salma starts worrying that if her father does not get used to Canada, he may leave and hence she is desperate to show him how great the country is.
But no matter how hard she tries, her father does not acclimatize and it seems the old smile he had in Syria is gone.

Danny Ramadan’s “Salma Writes a Book” opens with the lead excited that she is about to get a sister. Excited about becoming a big sister, she thinks that it is better to pen a guidebook of tips to become the best elder sister ever.
But as she learns more about brothers and sisters, she realizes that they can sometimes be challenging and confusing. Her mother is fighting Khalou Dawood her own brother and this makes her more confused.

She does not understand how brothers and sisters can love each other and be at each other’s throats like that. Navigating through her emotions and thoughts, she learns valuable lessons about acceptance, forgiveness, and love.
Penned in engaging and simple language, it is a work to teach children about how important family love is in overcoming challenging situations. Overall, it is a relatable and touching story that both adults and children can enjoy.

“Salma Joins the Team” is another intriguing work of fiction by Danny Ramadan that continues to follow the life and times of Syrian refugee Salma.

Like Yusra Mardini the Olympian who is her hero, she dreams of one day becoming a champion swimmer just like her.

When she becomes a member of the swim club at her school, she thinks that maybe her dream is about to come true. But then mean comments from women and older girls at the pool and at the mosque spark self-esteem and body image issues.
But with the help of family and close friends, she intends to claim her place in the pool and achieve her dreams.

It is a heartfelt and engaging story that follows Salma as she deals with new friendships, a new country, family changes, and her Syrian identity.