The Dreamwork Collective launches Safinah Danish Elahi’s book

ubai-based publisher The Dreamwork Collective has launched a new novel which confronts the complexities of adult friendship against the backdrop of childhood trauma. Written by author Safinah Danish Elahi, Chasing Shadows in Borrowed Light explores how the past can continue to shape lives, long after relationships have moved on. Centred around four friends – Saira, Areen, Ashar and Usman – the story uncovers how shattered childhood innocence leads to devastating consequences in later life. United in their youthful dreams of leaving Pakistan to build new lives elsewhere, the friends instead become bound by a shocking secret and scatter across continents to outrun the consequences of their actions.

For years, the group has harboured a terrible secret, one that poisons Areen from within and pulls the others apart. They tried to outrun that night, to forget what was lost and what they did, but the past has a will of its own. Now spread across continents, the friends find that some histories cannot be left behind. When Areen’s life is once again in jeopardy, the other three are pulled back into her orbit. Old wounds resurface and each of them must face the truth about their friendship, who they were, what they became, and the things they can never undo.

The group is drawn back together and the friends are now forced to face their shared history and fractured relationships in the context of adulthood. Navigating guilt, love, loyalty and the limits of friendship, the storytelling shifts from third person to a second-person conclusion, culminating in a haunting search for emotional escape. Chasing Shadows in Borrowed Light is Elahi’s third novel; it boldly tackles topics such as childhood trauma, abuse, mental fragility and suicide, which are unmentionables and are often left unspoken in South Asian societies. Through the novel’s complex characters, Elahi puts self-censorship behind to address longstanding taboos, which she believes can no longer be ignored in a modern society facing increasingly complex challenges.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the book, she said that “the story grew out of reflections on personal experiences and the realities of modern life, how friendships evolve as people move away, build careers and start families. It asks difficult questions about how much we owe each other as friends. Is friendship a lifelong responsibility and what happens when people grow in different directions? It also explores the paradox of human existence where one can be surrounded by people, and yet feel profoundly alone.”

The story offers multiple layers of connection for readers in the age group from early twenties into the forties. From the intensity of young friendships to the realities of adulthood, distance and changing social circles, the novel is a mirror to contemporary life, encouraging reflection on why many feel increasingly disconnected, despite constant technological connectivity. An accomplished novelist and poet alongside her professional practice in law, Elahi is the author of multiple works, including the poetry collection The Unbridled Romance of Love and Pain. Her novel Eye on the Prize was adapted into the television series Dauur, while her previous book, The Idle Stance of the Tippler Pigeon, was launched in the UK by Neem Tree Press and shortlisted for the Asian Fiction Prize 2023. This latest novel, Chasing Shadows in Borrowed Light, is available now at The Dreamwork Collective.

Founded by creatives for creatives, The Dreamwork Collective is a women-founded and run, author-centric publishing house, sharing diverse stories and strong voices with the world. It publishes books, runs courses and provides free resources to ignite creativity and expand understanding. Dedicated to making sure that no story goes untold, TDC are driven to make contemporary knowledge, wisdom and stories accessible to everyone and for many generations to come. “We call ourselves a collective because we are more than just a publisher,” they say. “We provide a supportive, creative and collaborative environment. The Dreamwork Collective is a place to call home, a place where you’ll have people who believe in your mission.”