Nina Liewald analyses literary representations of so-called 'Islamic fundamentalism' by contemporary authors whose cultural background and approach to the subject matter differs substantially: Hanif Kureishi, Sebastian Faulks, Mohsin Hamid and Yasmina Khadra. The author focuses on the narrative depiction of this complex phenomenon and its economic, religious and sociopolitical framework in selected contemporary novels. The interdisciplinary study is offering contextualised readings and combining narratology, literary and cultural studies with approaches from political science. It explores the potential functions of literature in a highly politicised context and specifically the potential of literature to shed light on radicalisation processes and to promote public discourse and intercultural understanding.