Latest news with #Fundamentally
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Interview with Nussaibah Younis, author of Fundamentally, shortlisted for Women's Prize for Fiction 2025
For a decade, Nussaibah Younis was a peacebuilding professional in Iraq. When she was asked to design a programme to deradicalise Islamic State (IS) brides, it triggered a memory from her teenage years. When she was 17, she went to a summer camp taught by the 'articulate and charming' Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki, who later joined al-Qaeda and was killed in a drone strike in 2011 in Yemen. It made her realise how easily she could have been on the other side. Leveraging her academic and personal experiences as a British-Iraqi Muslim, Younis has penned a supremely funny novel, Fundamentally (published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson), a satire on international aid bodies trying to play saviour in the face of crises. The book has been shortlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction, the winner of which will be announced on June 12. Younis takes on racism, workplace politics, religious belief, and queerness in this confident debut work. Edited excerpts from an interview: Q: What made you fictionalise your experiences instead of writing non-fiction? A: I wanted to write a story that would connect with a broad readership rather than be a dry academic tome. My goal was to write something with sparky characters, witty repartee, and an intense and compelling plot. A page-turner. Fiction also puts readers in an empathetic position — they can listen to the thoughts of the protagonist, imagine themselves in her position, wonder what they would do given the same circumstances. Because the topic of IS brides is so divisive, and is often reduced to incendiary headlines in newspapers, it felt critical to me to create as much nuance as possible, which felt more achievable through fiction. I also love to write about how the personal informs the political. Often the humour, the eroticism, and the dysfunction of real, human interactions are difficult to include in an academic work without undermining one's authority as an expert. I believe writing fiction to be more honest; it gives space for characters to be entirely human. Q: In what ways do you think 'Fundamentally' reflects your connection with the literary figures who impacted your writing? A: I loved studying Virginia Woolf as a part of my English literature degree at Oxford University. She was the first author I read who was considered a serious writer and a respected part of the British literary canon. She wrote accessible and enjoyable prose that combined details of the domestic life of women with insights and critiques of the broader social and political dynamics of the society in which she lived. It felt like an important counterweight to the male-dominated literary establishment. Woolf gave me the courage to see a woman's inner life as worthy of inclusion in literary work. I enjoyed the wit, humour, and scathing self-deprecation of many of Philip Roth's characters, but often felt troubled by the latent misogyny that ran through much of his work. I wanted to write in a similar style but with a respect for the humanity of the women at the centre. Q: Could you share your observations on the saviour complex of international aid bodies? A: I thought to parse through this novel the challenging questions that I faced as an aid worker. What role can foreigners play in trying to 'save' countries to which they do not belong? What is the moral way to interact with countries and with people in need, and to what extent can you — or should you — impose value systems on aid recipients? What motivates us to seek to 'do good', and do our personal histories and experiences inevitably colour the work we end up doing, for good or ill? However, I don't seek to impose clear-cut answers on these questions. I wanted to provoke a thoughtful conversation about the benefits and limitations of our approach to aid. The novel also seeks to prompt nuanced reflections on the motivations of women who join extremist groups, pathways for them to leave violence behind, and the possibilities and limits of rehabilitation. Q: Do the relationships forged by the women in the novel signal their loneliness, desires and dilemmas? A: It remains difficult and rare for women to obtain senior positions in the field of international affairs. Many women find that they have to suppress aspects of their gender to remain competitive in the industry. The novel touches on these issues, with none of the UN women characters having had children, and many of them experiencing difficulties in finding and maintaining romantic relationships. On the other hand, the dangerous and high-stakes environment, and the insular nature of the UN base, encourages reckless and unprofessional sexual relationships between staff. Q: Tell us more about the standup comedy class you took for this novel. A: I fall in love with novels that make me laugh out loud; I wish there were more of them. So, I was determined to write something funny. I didn't want to elicit a mere wry smile; I wanted laughter. The best way to figure out if my material was funny was to simply tell my jokes on stage at a standup comedy course. That helped me to centre the comedy in my storytelling, and to ensure that I included moments of verified hilarity. The interviewer is a Delhi-based queer writer and cultural critic. Instagram/X: @writerly_life
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The Women's Prize for Fiction 2025 shortlist is here – these are my must-reads in the running
The shortlist for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction has been announced. The top six novels include four debut authors as well as American writers Miranda July and Elizabeth Strout, all competing for a £30,000 prize. Founded to champion female authors and fresh voices, the prestigious literary award is now in its 30th year. According to the judges, each of the shortlisted books explores the need for personal freedom and human connection. These books explore a range of topics, covering cultural heritage, friendship, and sexual awakenings. 'Our selection celebrates rich, multi-layered narratives that will surprise, move and delight the reader, all drawing on, in different ways, the importance of human connection,' Kit de Waal, chair of judges, said. 'I'm in no doubt that these six novels will become the classics of the future.' One of the most talked-about books of 2024, July's novel All Fours explores a middle-aged woman's sexual reinvention and menopause. Strout's latest novel, Tell Me Everything, sees worlds collide as her two most beloved characters, Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton, meet. The rest of the shortlist is dominated by bold debuts. Yael van der Wouden's novel The Safekeep is a searing story of two women in the Netherlands after the Second World War, while Nussaibah Younis' Fundamentally tells a similar story of female connection in an Isis bride rehabilitation camp. Good Girl by Aria Aber follows the self-discovery of a young artist and daughter of an Afghan refugee in Berlin, while The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji is a story of five women from three generations of a once illustrious Iranian family whose lives are turned upside down. Above all, the shortlisted novels put a spotlight on the female experience, from 1960s Europe to present-day America. The winning tome will be announced on 12 June, but you can make your own mind up by reading all six engrossing novels now. Here's where to buy them. One of the buzziest debuts of the year - and a personal favourite - Nussaibah Younis's Fundamentally is an entertaining novel about a brutal subject. It follows Nadia, a young lecturer whose research into Isis brides leads to her running a deradicalisation program. Newly heartbroken, she is thrown into the chaotic world of international aid. Nadia soon forms a connection with east Londoner Sara, who joined Isis when she was just 15. Exploring faith and friendship, radicalism and racism, and decades of bureaucratic and systemic corruption and hypocrisy, Younis is funny, thoughtful, and sensitive about difficult topics. With signature wryness, the celebrated American writer and director Miranda July explores female reinvention, sexuality and menopause in All Fours. It follows a 45-year-old woman who sets out on a road trip from LA to New York but ends up in an unconsummated affair with a handsome man in a motel room close to home. Three weeks later, she's thrown back into her married, child-rearing life, but is this enough for her anymore? July breathes fresh life into a well-trodden theme - how creative and sexual freedom is at odds with the traditional trajectory of a woman's life. Her protagonist breaks free of convention to have her cake and eat it, too. Hilarious and profound, there's a reason why so many women love this novel. Another absorbing debut, The Persians tells the story of three generations of women in a once illustrious family in Iran. Spanning from the 1940s up to the present day, the narrative is shared between five women, beginning with Elizabeth. The elderly matriarch of the family during the 1979 revolution, Elizabeth decides to stay with her husband in Iran and sends her two daughters, Seem and Shirin, to America. Elizabeth's grandchildren are split up; one of them, Niaz, stays with her grandmother in Iran; the other, Bita, is a law student who feels generational guilt for the country her parents left behind. Drawing comparisons to Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, it's a powerful story of one family and their country. Elizabeth Strout has been longlisted four times and shortlisted twice for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her latest recognition comes for Tell Me Everything, which sees two of her most famous characters meet - a delight for her fans. It's autumn in Maine, and long-time Crosby inhabitant Olive Kitteridge now resides at a retirement home in the coastal town. She is befriended by the acclaimed writer Lucy Barton, who lives in a house by the sea. Striking up a special bond, the two spend long afternoons telling each other stories of the people they have known and the places they've been. Quietly beautiful, the novel explores new friendships and old loves. Aria Aber's debut Good Girl follows Nila, a wild party-girl and aspiring artist growing up in Berlin. The daughter of Afghan doctors who fled their country before she was born, she is grieving the death of her mother and finding solace in the nightclubs of Berlin. A tumultuous romance with a charismatic American author offers escape from the pressure of being the Afghan ideal of a 'good girl.' Exploring politics, art, history and shame in her journey of self-discovery, it's won critical acclaim. Set in the Netherlands, The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden is a story of facing up to desire and the past. It follows Isabel, living as a recluse in her late mother's country home. Her solitary life of discipline and routine is threatened when her brother arranges for his new girlfriend to stay for the sweltering summer season. With just the two of them in the house, Isabel's need for control is tested and the tension between the women builds to a crescendo.
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Women's Prize for Fiction unveils 2025 shortlist featuring four debut novelists tackling identity, history and self-discovery
The Women's Prize has announced its shortlist for fiction, featuring works that explore personal freedom, the search for identity, and the tension between Western values and cultural traditions. New voices feature heavily on the shortlist, with four of the six entrants being debut novelists. They are Aria Aber, Sanam Mahloudji, Nussaibah Younis and Vale van der Wouden. Aber's Good Girl explores the complexities of a dual identity for a teenager who is born in Germany but ashamed of her Afghan heritage. Younis's Fundamentally follows a de-radicalisation programme for ISIS women ran by the United Nations in Iraq, and explores the ethical questions surrounding Western intervention. Mahloudji's The Persians, a family drama told through five women whose fate is intertwined with modern Iran, explores the question of whether it's possible to free ourselves from our past. Another debut work is In The Safe Keep by Vale van der Wouden, which follows a woman in her thirties who lives a solitary existence in her late mother's home but her life is upended when a young woman moves in. The book tackles the impact of emotional repression, historical amnesia and themes of sexual desire and self-discovery. Narratives of women challenging society's expectations around motherhood, ageing, self-perception and sexuality also feature strongly on the list. Miranda July, who has been shortlisted for a second time, portrays an artist's quest for a new kind of freedom in her mid-forties when she immerses herself on a road trip in All Four s. July is an established filmmaker and performance artist, and she has previously published a short story collection. Elizabeth Stout's Tell Me Everything returns to characters from her bestselling novel My Name is Lucy Barton, as the characters narrate their hopes and regrets in their later years. Stout, who is the author of nine other novels, has been longlisted for the prize twice (2014's The Burgess Boys and 2016's My Name is Lucy Barton) and shortlisted once for her 2000 book Amy & Isabelle. The six works were selected by a panel of five judges – Kitde Waal, Diana Evans, Bryony Gordon, Deborah Joseph and Amelia Warner – which had been whittled down from a longlist of 16 authors. The winner will be announced on Thursday, 12 June at the Women's Prize Trust's summer party in central London, alongside the winner of the 2024 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction. The winner will receive a cheque for £30,000 alongside a limited edition bronze statuette known as the 'Bessie', created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven. The Women's Prize for Fiction 2025 shortlist is as follows: Aria Aber, Good Girl Miranda July, All Fours Sanam Mahloudji, The Persians Elizabeth Strout, Tell Me Everything Yale van der Wouden, The Safekeep Nussaibah Younis, Fundamentally Kit de Waal, Chair of Judges said that the shortlist selection celebrates 'rich, multi-layered narratives that will surprise, move and delight the reader'. 'Over the past three decades the Women's Prize for Fiction has celebrated imaginative, accomplished novels year after year, and in doing so has helped change the landscape for fiction writing in the UK.' 'Over the past six months, my fellow judges and I have been knee-deep in reading our submissions, consumed by the fully-realised worlds created by an incredible range of voices. Now that we arrive at the announcement of our shortlist, what seems absolutely apparent to me is how perfectly each of these six novels exemplify the original tenets of the Prize: originality, accessibility and sheer brilliance.' 'What is surprising and refreshing is to see so much humour, nuance and lightness employed by these novelists to shed light on challenging concepts. I'm in no doubt that these six novels will become the classics of the future.'
