Hi, this is Dania!
I’m a student from India, who loves discovering new crevices within the world around me. I’ve always done this through reading - picking up books on Chinese history told through three generations of women, or a book on Fermat’s Last Theorem.
When I’m not buried in a book, I love finding new places to eat and trying dishes I’ve never had before. My absolute favourite part of these ‘probes’ into the world of food are when I find book cafes or a new favourite cuisine.
Other places you’ll find me are - listening to all Hamilton songs on repeat (especially My Shot and Satisfied), making my special hot chocolate for my entire family, or sleeping, cuddling the soft toys I’ve collected from all over the world
More about me!
About me
Below you can find out more about different aspects of my life, from my bookstagram to community service initiatives.
My book reviews and content writing
i was the youngest TEDx speaker at a renowned Indian university, speaking about how debating can aid us in holding constructive conversations
samples of poems from my book, Labyrinth
more about my book Labyrinth, which was published when I was 13
social initiative i'm passionate about
snippets of coverage of my book and social initiatives in the news
Writing Samples
Introduction to Labyrinth
"Anxiety, happiness, sadness and greed are some of the emotions I have poured on my omniscient paper. You must be asking, ‘How can paper be omniscient?’ Well, to me paper is not just a blank white page. I think paper always knows what you are going to write, it just doesn’t tell you. And the ache in your heart that you get when you can’t find the right word or don’t like anything you’ve written, that, is the paper telling you that you are writing the wrong thing. The same paper knows your darkest secrets, and mine have now been
released to the world.
From the Poem 'Don't You?'
Don’t you see, the trees ignore your silent calls,
The stars scream at the sight of your malicious intent?
Don’t you see the blood-red moon above?
The grass dance with your destruction?
From the Poem 'Tears'
One tear for a passion left behind Two tears for heartbreak
Three tears for pain unbearable
Four tears for misery in the world
Five tears for an unspoken witness
Six tears for injury inflicted
Seven tears for a person lost
And a tear left unattended for a heart turned cold.
Published Research - 'Revolutionizing Public Procurement in India: The Government e-Marketplace (GeM)'
Published Research - 'The Future of Tibet: Between Erasure and Resilience'
Social Initiatives
I'm passionate about helping underprivileged families reclaim their right to questions their government by raising awareness regarding the Right to Information Act (RTI) in India, which is a unique redressal mechanism.
I've also spread the joy of reading, while improving vocational English skills of underprivileged students in government-run schools in Mumbai.
During the pandemic, Matheran, a tourist centre in Maharashtra where most transportation takes place through horses, was greatly impacted. I crowdfunded 4 lakh rupees to provide ration kits to the horse owners and their families and fodder to horses.
RTI Jano
During workshops aimed at increasing awareness regarding the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a unique redressal mechanism in India where citizens can request information from government bodies, I noticed a paucity of resources in local languages, especially Hindi, preventing many families from using RTIs. Thus, I created the website rtijano.in, compiling easily comprehensible resources in Hindi.
Community Libraries
Noticing the importance of vocational English skills among underprivileged children, I decided to set up community libraries in government-run schools to improve students’ reading and writing skills. I also conducted bi-weekly vocational English classes, practicing speaking skills with students. Later, I partnered with Gabula Foundation to complete their goal of setting up 200 libraries in public schools across Mumbai.
Initiative for Matheran Horses
During the COVID-19 pandemic the tourism sector and were struck the hardest in Matheran, a hill station where most transportation takes place through horses. After reading about the struggle of horse owners, I organised a crowd funding campaign to collect funds to provide relief to the horse and their owners. The campaign was very successful with more than 4 lakh rupees raised, 15,000 kg of fodder and 2,500 kg of ration distributed with the help of the volunteers of NESH.
I delivered a TEDx Talk at VNIT Nagpur, a prestigious national university. I was proud to share the stage with eminent personalities such as Padma Shri Prahlada Rama Rao, an Indian missile scientist; and Ketakee Mateygaonkar, renowned actress and singer. My talk was on the topic: "Debate without the Drama: How Debate Can Help Us Have Constructive Conversations in Today's World."
Labyrinth
Published Author
My anthology of 42 poems was published by Rupa Publications, a premier publishing house in India. Its forward was written by acclaimed Indian author, Ruskin Bond.
book launch
The book was published when I was 13, with a book launch at Kitab Khana, my favourite bookstore. I unveiled the book alongside poets Ranjit Hoskote and Nitya Satyani, and actor Naseeruddin Shah.
Dania in News
my community library initiative
The community library I set up in Asha Sadan, a home for destitute and abandoned girls in Mumbai was covered by the Times of India.
enthusiastic reviews for my book!
My book, Labyrinth was reviewed by a journalist at the Hindustan Times.
my crowdfunding initiative
My crowdfunding initiative to provide ration kits to horse owners and fodder to horses in Matheran, who were severely impacted by the pandemic was covered in a news article.
my crowdfunding initiative
My crowfunding initiative for the horses and horse owners in Matheran was also covered by NDTV in one of their news segments.
reopening of my favourite bookstore, Kitab Khana
During the pandemic, Kitab Khana unfortunately caught fire and had to shut its doors. Deeply saddened by the state of the bookstore I practically grew up in, I offered to raise funds for the bookstore. While the bookstore was in the safe hands of its owners and didn't require crowdfunding, the owners were deeply touched by my letter and I was given the honour to inaugurate the bookstore when it re-opened, along side other long-time patrons such as poet Ranjit Hoskote.