In this podcast episode I’m interviewing Ilona Bannister, author of When I Ran Away and Little Prisons. Ilona is a writer, mother, and a New Yorker living in London. She was a dual qualified US attorney and UK solicitor and practiced immigration law in the UK before she started writing fiction.
Ilona tells us about her debut novel When I Ran Away , which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s 2021 First Novel Prize. It is a rich, bighearted debut that takes us from working-class Staten Island in the wake of the September 11th attacks to moneyed London a decade later, revealing a story of loss, motherhood, and love.
Our conversation in this podcast focuses on new motherhood and the need to talk openly and honestly about the experiences of mothers. Ilona discusses how mothers and motherhood are devalued in our society, and explores why leaning in is not always working for everyone. She also talks about the uncomfortable topic of maternal rage, and highlights that anger is a perfectly natural response to the unfair situation mothers often find themselves in.
To discover more about Ilona and her work please visit her website ilonabannister.com.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Ilona!
Listen to the full episode below: