Map of the Self

In Map of the Self, Mona Dash traces the intricate landscapes of identity, belonging, and human connection with clarity, lyricism and emotional depth. Divided into two related parts, the first charts our inner terrain and explores memory, language, and the shifting borders of selfhood. In the second part, the poems examine how the self is shaped and reshaped in relation to others: in love and loss, in intimacy and estrangement, in family and society.

Whether navigating the dislocations of diaspora or the quiet revelations of everyday life, Dash writes with a voice that is both intimate and expansive. She invites the reader to walk alongside her, to pause at key moments along the way, and perhaps to locate and reimagine parts of her own story.

A poetic atlas for anyone seeking home-within and beyond themselves.

Mona was born and brought up in India but has been living in London since 2001. She is a Telecoms Engineer, holds an MBA and works currently in the rapidly evolving space of AI in a tech company. She also holds a Masters in Creative Writing and recently gained a MPhil in Creative Writing. In these poems she writes from a position of intersectionality, of different dual identities, which can be conflicting and divisive. While the poems are not autobiographical, they are reflections and explorations of seeking self within yourself and in relation to others. These poems have been written over a period of time and the collection is her third collection of poetry.