Happy Place Book Club Meets: I could have been radicalised! ISIS brides and teen angst, with Nussaibah Younis
Jan 2, 2026
Nussaibah Younis, an author and former aid worker, dives into her debut novel, Fundamentally, which humorously tackles serious themes through the intertwining lives of two women from different backgrounds. She shares her transition from academic writing to fiction, emphasizing the importance of satire in discussing heavy topics like radicalization. Their discussion touches on the awkwardness of hanging out with your teenage self and her journey of crafting relatable, strong characters, blended with laugh-out-loud moments and real-world experiences from her time in Iraq.
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Breakup Leads To Baghdad Assignment
- Nussaibah Younis recounts Nadia taking a UN job in Baghdad to escape a brutal breakup and being tasked with designing a deradicalisation programme.
- Nadia meets Sarah, a young ISIS bride, and becomes determined to save her despite institutional obstacles.
Aid Work Is Ordinary Workplace Drama
- The novel satirises international aid institutions by showing mundane ego and procedural battles that impede meaningful work.
- Younis says readers without aid experience still recognise the ordinary workplace frustrations within high-stakes contexts.
Adult And Teen Versions Mirror Each Other
- Younis frames Nadia and Sarah as mirror versions: adult compromises versus teenage idealism.
- She notes the comedy in imagining having to hang out with your teenage self and being undermined by them.