Storytelling, Diaspora and Identity: Interview with Roots & Narratives Podcast

Across the media narratives which dominate the global news, Iraq is too often talked about, more than it is listened to.

As the global Iraqi diaspora continues to grow in number, platforms like the Roots and Narrative / Al-Nafs Podcast offer space for an exploration of Iraqi identity beyond the news headlines, and meaningful cultural reflections and conversations. 

In this interview, we speak with the 2025 Cultural Podcast of the Year winners, and the creators of Roots and Narrative / Al-Nafs podcast, about the role of open dialogue in keeping national identity alive.

When Naba Al Madani and Rida Alwan first set out on this journey, they were a business analyst and a psychotherapist of Iraqi heritage, both having spent most of their lives in London. Yet beyond their professional paths, they shared a desire to reimagine what the ‘Iraqi community’ could mean, and to connect with like-minded individuals in an attempt to understand their culture on their own terms – through reflection, conversation and lived experience.

Both of you come from professional backgrounds outside the media industry – Did you find it challenging stepping into the world of podcasting and media?

“In the beginning, it was very scary.  It was nerve wracking,” admits Naba.
At the time, the duo had completed various practices from the comfort of a home environment, but after booking a studio for the first time, they felt intimidated at the interview prospect. 

However, this all changed once the conversations began.

“As soon as we got into it, even during that interview, we relaxed. Because it’s a podcast, we just took it as a conversation that we’re having with a friend… from there, I think everything just fell into place for me”, says Rida, who drew on his years of valuable business analysis experience in offering advice and proposing solutions. This helped him navigate the flow of the conversation and step beyond his usually introverted nature. 

What first motivated you to start Roots and Narrative? Was there a particular moment, gap, or conversation that made you feel this podcast needed to exist?

“We lived vicariously through our parents in Iraq. We lived through our parents, the culture, the historical sites, the religious sites… it’s just an image that we’ve seen pictures or videos of on TV…That’s something that we can’t give to our kids. They (parents) don’t know the struggles that we went through. And our kids are not going to know the struggles we went through. So we wanted to show Iraqis who have achieved great things … We’ve had some great discussions on the podcast, phenomenal people… and we were like, okay, we need to fill this gap… because we need to learn what our community is actually doing, what other Iraqis are actually doing.”

How central is Iraqi culture, heritage and identity to the conversations you have on the podcast? In what ways do you think our roots shape who we become, both personally and professionally?

Iraq is home to some of the world’s oldest and most diverse cultural heritages, rich with history and generations of stories. It’s no surprise that these ancient influences continue to shape the way we see and understand culture today.

“During our conversations with all our guests, it’s about how they identify as Iraqis, what food they like, when they last went to Iraq, what would they like to see in Iraq? …Things that they’ve picked up from their families and what they’ve learned along the way.” 

Has there been a guest or conversation that stayed with you long after the interview? 

“…we’ve had a few, I think for me,” notes Naba, “the one that stayed with me quite a while was Linda Dangoor.”

Artist and published cookbook author Linda Dangoor, from Iraq’s vibrant Jewish community, evoked a version of Iraq that Naba’s father would have known growing up.

“I was really fascinated by her story, because I lived through my dad’s stories growing up,” Naba tells, “because my father grew up in a Jewish community in Baghdad. When she (Dangoor) was telling her story, I felt like I was walking through my dad’s memories with her. That was something I truly treasure.” 
Stories like Linda’s build a bridge between past and present, connecting generations of Iraqis through a shared history and rich culture. Through the space created by Roots and Narratives, more Iraqis can begin to understand the strength that lies in their stories.

Finally, how important do you think the Iraqi diaspora is in shaping/reshaping Iraq’s image globally? 

“Iraq, as a country, those individuals living there are doing great things, they’re achieving greatness. They don’t need the diaspora,” acknowledges Rida. “But what they get from the diaspora is a whole new vision.”
“They get an external experience of Iraq,” adds Naba. “We all have the one aim – to make Iraq great. This responsibility doesn’t fall on the diaspora, or national Iraqi’s, but the whole community as one.”

Sitting at the intersection of past and present, the Roots and Narratives Podcast provides a space for conversation, memory and reflection. Naba Al Madani and Rida Alwan, supported by their guests each episode, remind us that identity is not fixed to geography, but carried through stories, relationships and shared histories.