UAE based publisher The Dreamwork Collective launches new book 'Daughters of Dissidents Need Not Apply'

Nadina Ronc’s book charts a real-life story of survival, identity, and the relentless search for justice

Dubai-based publisher, The Dreamwork Collective, has launched a new title by Bosnian-born author, Nadina Ronc, charting the story of her life as a refugee after fleeing the war in her homeland. Now a journalist and foreign policy analyst, Ronc has released her memoir, Daughters of Dissidents Need Not Apply, to shine a light on the untold struggles in the aftermath of conflict.

Exploring the themes of identity, loss, resilience, and the complex, lasting impact of war, the book explores the often-invisible challenges faced by refugees. Ronc, who fled Bosnia as a child in 1992 and found refuge in the UK, provides a deeply personal account of healing in the aftermath of unimaginable loss. The book follows her experience of the breakup of a country and the breakup of her family, and the political forces at play in both.

Explaining her motivation to write the memoir, Ronc said, “It was an overwhelming need to speak up and to confront the harsh realities that the world too often chooses to ignore. The injustice that still lingers, the voice that remains unheard, and the scars that never heal. When I began working with my editor at The Dreamwork Collective, she didn’t just help me write; she guided me to open a portal to my past, to revisit the child I once was, through the eyes of the adult I’ve become. I began to see the countless obstacles I had to overcome to get to where I am today. That process of truly diving into my past, of peeling back those layers of fear and memory, allowed me to take the reader on a raw and bumpy journey with me.”

Sharing one of the most vulnerable and perhaps relatable moments of her memoir, Ronc said, “In Bosnia, there’s this conservative mindset—this expectation that family life is always perfect, that everything is fine behind closed doors. But that’s not the reality for everyone. By sharing these intimate details, I’ve torn down that facade and exposed the raw truth. I wanted to show that it’s okay to acknowledge the flaws, the pain, and the fractures that exist in our personal lives, even when it’s uncomfortable or difficult to do so. I hope to shed light on a truth that’s often ignored or hidden—because healing starts when we stop pretending everything is ‘peachy.’”

The book’s narrative is multi-layered, with a key focus on the strength and resilience of women in the post-war context. Ronc believes that the memoir will resonate with those who are passionate about understanding deep human emotions and the complexities of survival in the aftermath of conflict, and anyone with a curiosity about how war shapes identity, societies, and the future. 

Speaking about the messages that she hopes readers will take from the book, Ronc said, “Through my personal journey, I aim to make visible the unseen struggles faced by those displaced by conflict, those who are forced to rebuild their lives—I want readers to understand that the scars of war go far beyond the battlefield. My hope is that this book sparks empathy, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the human toll that political conflicts impose, and that it reinforces the necessity of holding those in power accountable—both on a global scale and in our personal lives.”

Daughters of Dissidents Need Not Apply is available online at The Dreamwork Collective