Nussaibah Younis, an author whose debut novel Fundamentally emerges from a unique blend of personal and literary influences, shares the pivotal books that have shaped her journey from childhood to her current writing career. Her reflections offer a profound look into how literature can provide solace, inspiration, and a framework for understanding life's challenges.
Early Literary Obsessions and Childhood Dreams
Younis recalls her earliest reading memory with vivid clarity, centred on Enid Blyton's beloved boarding school stories, Malory Towers and St Clare's. As an eight-year-old, she would hide these books under her pillow and read by the dim glow of hallway light, defying bedtime in a secret ritual that ignited her lifelong passion for stories. This early rebellion against sleep hints at the determination that would later define her creative pursuits.
Growing up, Roald Dahl's Matilda became a favourite, resonating deeply with her sense of being misunderstood by the world. She confesses to spending considerable time attempting to move a pen through sheer concentration, emulating Matilda's telekinetic powers—a whimsical endeavour she admits to occasionally revisiting even now. This childhood fascination with magical realism and outsider narratives subtly foreshadowed her later engagement with complex themes in literature.
Navigating Mental Illness and Finding Solace in Prose
At sixteen, Younis encountered Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, a book she describes as a shocking and disorienting introduction to mental illness in young women. This reading experience proved prescient; a couple of years later, when she faced a serious bout of mental illness herself, The Bell Jar provided a crucial framework for conceptualising her struggles. The novel's raw portrayal of psychological turmoil offered not just empathy but a literary mirror to her own experiences, demonstrating the power of books to articulate and validate personal pain.
In moments of grief, Younis turns to Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, a work she rereads for its word-perfect exploration of the insanity wrought by loss. She notes that this book helps her feel less isolated during dark times, always prompting a cathartic release of tears. This repeated return to Didion's prose underscores literature's role as a companion through life's most difficult passages.
Literary Inspirations and the Path to Writing
The book that ignited Younis's desire to become a writer is Evelyn Waugh's Scoop, a brilliantly funny satire of war journalism that she finds still rings disturbingly true today. Inspired by its comedic critique, she penned a comedy about a bizarre United Nations programme in Iraq, which eventually evolved into her debut novel, Fundamentally. This connection highlights how satirical literature can spark creative endeavours, blending humour with serious commentary.
Younis also shares a belated discovery with Donna Tartt's The Secret History, which sat unread on her shelf for a decade until a lonely and unwell Christmas led her to immerse herself in its enchanting, atmospheric world. She reflects that sometimes a book arrives at precisely the right moment, offering escape and comfort when most needed.
Feminist Awakening and Personal Commitments
A transformative moment occurred at age nineteen when Younis read Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique. This book radically reframed her perspective on marriage and children, depicting the suffocating impact of societal expectations that pressure women to prioritise caring roles above all else. Friedan's work inspired Younis to commit wholeheartedly to achieving her own dreams, rather than projecting them onto a future child—a decision that has clearly influenced her professional trajectory and personal ethos.
Conversely, she expresses strong aversion to Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint, stating she is weary of narratives centred on hypersexual misogynists obsessed with their own victimhood, finding them neither clever nor interesting. This critique aligns with her feminist values and selective literary tastes.
Current Reading and Comforting Escapes
Currently, Younis is reading Slumberland by Paul Beatty, describing it as a challenging yet rewarding experience with genius one-liners and brutally cutting observations about racism faced by an African American musician in Berlin. For lighter moments, she turns to David Sedaris for cheer, humorously identifying with an older gay man's health anxiety, litter-picking obsession, and Fitbit-driven life—a testament to how humour in literature can provide relatable relief.
Nussaibah Younis's debut novel, Fundamentally, is set for publication in paperback by W&N on 12 February, marking the culmination of a literary journey deeply intertwined with the books that have guided, comforted, and inspired her along the way.
