Crooked Teeth

A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir

FINALIST FOR THE GOVERNER GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD FOR NON-FICTION.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2025 EVERGREEN AWARD.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BC and YUKON BOOK PRIZES: Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize for Non-fiction. 
AN AUDIBLE BEST BOOK OF 2024.

A queer Syrian refugee reckons with a life spent out of place.

“Writing this memoir is a betrayal.” So begins this electrifying personal account from Danny Ramadan, a celebrated novelist who has long enjoyed the shield his fiction provides. Now, to tell the story of his life, he must revisit dark corners of his past he’d rather forget and unearth memories of a city he can no longer return to.

Starting with his family’s humble beginnings in Damascus, he takes readers on an epic, border-crossing journey: to the city’s underground network of queer safe homes; to a clandestine party at a secluded villa in Cairo; through Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East, a reckless hoax that threatens the safety of Syria’s LGBTQ+ community, and a traumatic six-week imprisonment; to beaches and sunsets with friends in Beirut; to an arrival in Vancouver that’s not as smooth as it promised to be; and ultimately to a life of hard-won comfort and love.

What emerges is a powerful refutation of the oversimplified refugee narrative—a book that holds space for joy alongside sorrow, for nuance and complicated ambivalences. Written with fearless intimacy, Crooked Teeth is a singular achievement in which a master storyteller learns that his greatest story is his own.

Praise & Reviews:

“I take my hat off to Danny Ramadan and his brilliant muses. This is a mesmerizing story of growing up gay in a Muslim Syrian family, of the challenges and joys of finding and creating loving communities, and the miracle not just of physical survival but of an effervescent celebration of the human heart. Once I began reading, I couldn’t stop until the final page. Countless others will be thankful for this raw, idiosyncratic, utterly compelling account of Danny’s long journey home.”
—Lawrence Hill, author of The Illegal
 
“In Crooked Teeth, the reader becomes not just a confidante but a trusted companion in Danny Ramadan’s story. Harrowing yet joyous, bawdy and kind and brilliant, this memoir sings, parties, and grieves in a way that will make you want to hug it and, yes, dance with it.”
—Ann-Marie MacDonald, author of Fayne

“Ramadan reminds us why memoir is so important. This is an engrossing account of one queer man’s journey through a life filled with danger, yes, but also great joy. A beautiful read that adds nuance to the stories of so many refugees.”
—Garrard Conley, author of Boy Erased

“Danny Ramadan’s vigorous prose is poised in that enchanted place between master storytelling and testimonial. Written with the skill of a fiction writer, Crooked Teeth is sweeping and intimate, a memoir of bloody revolution and bear hugs. Danny Ramadan asks if he can trust us with his story. Discover what trust means. Read this book.”
—Kim Echlin, author of Speak, Silence

“Crooked Teeth is a tender invitation into the life and mind of one of Canada’s favourite and most acclaimed authors. Here is a memoir that coaxes as it resists, all through Ramadan’s familiar, luscious, and generative literary voice. First-time readers will no doubt be inspired by his bravery, nimble storytelling, and deft application of craft. Fans of his other work will recognize this book as the homecoming it truly is.”
—Jenny Heijun Wills, author of Older Sister. Not Necessarily Related.

"Crooked Teeth challenges its readers, but is never heavy-handed. It may recalibrate your notions about the refugee narrative. Based on his last two books, Danny Ramadan is a writer to watch. His prose is fiercely intelligent and deeply moving. Crooked Teeth strives to make the world a better, more empathetic, place. You will be a better human being for having read this book."

—Winnipeg Free Press

 "An elegantly told, candid, and often intriguing personal history, the memoir never fails to edify. The titular ‘queer Syrian refugee,’ Ramadan tells his tale and allows readers to imagine the immense complex uniqueness of every refugee and their history."

—Vancouver Sun 

"This memoir is beautifully written, with intense descriptions and comedic quips. It truly feels like a conversation between two friends. If you have the chance, pick up this book and give it a read. Find out the meaning behind those crooked teeth!"

—The Peak 

© 2023 Danny Ramadan