Songs of Exile by Bänoo Zan (Guernica Editions, 2016)
Last fall, I met Bänoo Zan at the Northumberland Festival of the Arts literary event where she read. What a pleasure! I purchased a copy of Songs of Exile and have enjoyed (maybe not the best word for a book that unsettles) many read-throughs. Since then, Bänoo has received The Writers’ Union of Canada’s 2025 Freedom to Read Award. If you haven’t read Songs of Exile, My Father, or any of her other published work, I suggest you visit your library or bookstore. Bänoo Zan writes with passion, insight, and skill.
Kathryn MacDonald 