Labyrinth

“Labyrinth entices you with its dark setting, keeping you guessing about what human nature really is. It inculcates human emotions carefully with wonderful imagery and gruesome emotions which bring about the question—‘Do you really know what you feel?’ (blurb)

Labyrinth is a collection of poems, which talk about emotions that they get so overwhelming that we feel like we cannot navigate them and are stuck in a maze with no way out. Thus, the book was named Labyrinth, an unnavigable maze with a monster at the centre. The book also contains quotes or short poems written by Dania which are printed beside a poem whose theme it matches.

The poems range from ‘Fear’—a poem aptly named after the emotion it invokes in you—to various poems on love which make a voice ring in your head, ‘Is love a boon or a curse?’”

The author is looking and hopeful for the bright side as she said “go on, open the book and fall in love with a little darkness. After all, isn’t darkness here before the light?” the same tone has been appreciated by Ruskin Bond while writing her foreword, he wrote,

‘Her lyrical expressions and profound thoughts dazzle through the dark clouds, shining like the first morning light; fresh, raw, soothing.’

The book was published by Rupa Publications, New Delhi. The forward has been written by acclaimed writer Ruskin Bond. ‘Labyrinth’ was released on 23rd in Kitab Khana Fort (Mumbai), by Shri. Ranjit Hoskote and Shri. Naseeruddin Shah along with esteemed writers like Ms Nitya Satyani, who moderated the event. Mr Sumit Kelkar, and Ms Shabnam Minwaalla, were also there to grace the occasion.

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Labyrinth was well appreciated and has received very good reviews.

Author was featured as a young author from Mumbai in Free Press Journal :

Three young authors

Into the ‘labyrinth’ of the mind

Has been seen as prodigy poet in a feature

Labyrinth was also featured in a magazine published from USA

Reviews

Sometimes It’s hard to overcome your emotional turmoil because the more you see this world in a rational way the more horrifying it becomes. Of course, human life is an existential horror and indeed the writer was able to articulate grey matter out of thin air but that is what a writer is to give away a perception you thought you never had. I believe the writer deserves a space beside Charles Bukowski and Khalid Javed Kudos! Every single poem is a beautifully written slice taken out of human experiences – things we have in our minds but rarely speak about. The writing is extraordinary for a budding author, and I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes to introspect about the human life.

Labyrinth delivers perception, deceit, fear, pain, joy, love, emotion, betrayal, melancholy, tranquility, all in one book. The poem “everything” reminds me of the story of Alexander-the great who wanted to loot the wisdom and knowledge of Indian saint but the saint refused to go. When his guards threatened him to kill if he didn’t oblige the saint said that they can kill him as they can’t take his soul. They can have his body but he is not going with them. Coming from an author who is just 12 such dark side of emotions has been beautifully penned. Looking forward for more books from Dania.

A little girl with ideas and thoughts so deep. This little girl all of 12 has taught me lessons to express and speak the unknown. This little girl has given so many a reason to know and smile that it’s not just about holding something within, but finding that labyrinth and getting out knowing what went wrong. So Dania Khan through this wonderful 1st book of thought provoking poetry, you have surely instilled very strong deep thoughts in a lot of minds, young and old. Looking forward to more such thoughts and ideologies to be expressed for a brighter better tomorrow.

We often say ‘There’s a lot we can learn from kids’ but its seldom that we sincerely mean it and even so rare that it would resonate with our deepest and gloomiest emotions. Its unfathomable that a child of her age has been able to present a rendition of emotions of such maturity, a ‘13 going on 30’ in the practical world. Lastly, it would suffice to say that when a legend like Ruskin Bond lends his appreciation, by offering the foreword to the book, I am a nobody to endorse the depth and richness of her writing any further.

Labyrinth is a collection of forty-eight poems in simple & lucid language with dark expressions. The young writer has chosen to venture into the dark shades of life & molded them into pinching poems. Dania Khan’s strong imagination builds a landscape of myriad emotions (fear, anxiety, pride, sadness, greed….) to weave macabre tales & make a picture perfect for introspection in today’s world. A brilliant work in the dark poetry genre

Labyrinth is a book full of emotions written straight from heart and beautifully penned down in words. Enter into these words knowing you will not exit quite the same. These poems are thought-provoking, compelling & they speak of life’s challenges, of pain and heartbreak, but also of simplicity. I loved them and although I don’t read a lot of poetry, this collection gave me insightful words to ponder. Anyone who reads this book won’t be able to put it down & if you love pure raw emotion then this is a definite read! Looking forward to reading more books

This book was amazing Dania has gathered all her emotions and written them down on paper. Those emotions have been shared with us in this book. You might have experienced many of these feelings but not realized the depth of it… This young author has explained us these emotions. She has shared with us the feelings of hatred, sadness, loneliness, and depression, as well as happiness, love, and hope…. I never quite understood these feelings. But while reading this book I felt the emotions gushing through each part of me, this time I had a whole new perspective of it…. I am sure you will enjoy these 48 poems of emotions. Have fun reading!!

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Wonderful book it’s very hard to compact such a spectrum of emotions but the poet has managed that effortlessly. I not only loved the poems in this book but also the quotes written by the poet. They are beautifully written and you can also treat them as short poems. Let me quote a few of them-

‘You dream of going inside people’ minds.

But just wait till their horrors become yours too.’ ‘We are products of war. We belong in battle.’

‘In this world, people may live

Their entire lives Searching for who they are,

While some may live through their entire lives

Afraid of who they are.’

DANIA IN NEWS

1. DANIA A POET

2. Social initiatives

3. Kitabkhana story