Podcast appearances and mentions of Omar El Akkad

When and how do we tell difficult-to-hear truths? In this Sunday's gospel text, Jesus heals on the Sabbath. In doing so, he does what isn't expected or accepted. Speaking difficult truths can be similar. Others may expect us to "toe the line" by parroting what others in authority have said. Likewise, our truths may not be accepted or could be viewed as harsh. Jonathan and Seth discuss how this applies to the war in Gaza. It also has applications in our personal lives. As we wrestle with these, we hope it stirs questions and insights into how to break the rules, just as the water in the pool of Beth-zatha is stirred up (John 5:7). We're glad you're with us. In this episode, they reference the book One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad. I (Seth, here) would recommend it to anyone.

Putin Plays Trump Again Not Showing Up For Farcical "Peace" Talks in Istanbul | A Report From Kyiv on How Much Ukrainians Want Peace But Not Surrender on Putin's Terms | The Death Toll In Gaza Reaches 53, 272 As Trump Plans to Send a Million Gazans to War-torn Libya backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Guests: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Jennifer Welch, Dr. Peter Hotez, Omar El Akkad.Tonight, Donald Trump's first big foreign trip: Elizabeth Warren on the Trump corruption tour of the Middle East. Then, even after Trump backs down with China, the real and growing concern over trade war pain. Plus, why is America's top public health official bathing in a creek flowing with sewage and bacteria? Want more of Chris? Download and subscribe to his podcast, “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes podcast” wherever you get your podcasts.

Omar El Akkad began writing fiction while working as a journalist, leading to two novels and an essay collection: American War, What Strange Paradise and One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. Omar joins us to talk about the relationship between journalism and fiction writing, worldbuilding, living in translation, interiority and inversion with host Miwa Messer.  This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                     New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): American War by Omar El Akkad What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan There's Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib

In Part 2 of our interview with Omar El Akkad, he discusses the roots of his new book about the war on Gaza, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, and how he draws hope from people engaged in “active resistance.”

Headlines for April 17, 2025; Constitutional Crisis: As Trump Ignores Judges’ Orders, Will the Courts Capitulate?; “Need the World to Pay Attention”: Sudan Faces World’s Worst Displacement Crisis After 2 Years of War; Trump Eyes Congo’s “Incredible Mineral Riches” as Armed Conflict Devastates Region; “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”: Omar El Akkad on Gaza & Western Complicity

In Part 2 of our interview with Omar El Akkad, he discusses the roots of his new book about the war on Gaza, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, and how he draws hope from people engaged in “active resistance.”

Headlines for April 17, 2025; Constitutional Crisis: As Trump Ignores Judges’ Orders, Will the Courts Capitulate?; “Need the World to Pay Attention”: Sudan Faces World’s Worst Displacement Crisis After 2 Years of War; Trump Eyes Congo’s “Incredible Mineral Riches” as Armed Conflict Devastates Region; “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”: Omar El Akkad on Gaza & Western Complicity

THIS IS A PREVIEW. FOR THE FULL EPISODE, GO TO Patreon.com/worstofall The lads grab their crossbows and make for the Space Needle as they cover the back half of Naughty Dog's 2020 revengefest: The Last of Us Part II. Topics include state quarters, the logistics of building crane bridges, and what it truly means to “look for the light”. Media Referenced in this Episode: The Last of Us Part II. Dir. Neil Druckmann. Naughty Dog. 2020. Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us: Part II.  One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad. Penguin Random House. 2025 TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “The CW's The Last of Us: Season Nine” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “CW Announcer/Barnaby Bozo”

Description: This month's JHBC selection, The Berry Pickers, by Nova Scotian author Amanda Peters has found a particularly receptive audience within book club communities, including the Jen Hatmaker Book Club, for exploring universal human emotions and experiences, and for  examining unique cultural perspectives.  By masterfully blending her father's compelling stories as a Maine berry picker with her own extensive career in Indigenous governance, The Berry Pickers delves into a unique and original plot surrounding a Mi'kmaw family that grapples with the corrosive effects of guilt and shame, and the possibility of redemption. Peters reveals how the debut novel initially took shape as a short story, but as the beautifully-flawed characters and tendrilled themes began to unfold, the narrative organically expanded into the full-fledged novel that it is now, which has been translated into an impressive 22 languages and has been awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.  Thought-provoking Quotes: I couldn't have written this story when I was 21 because I didn't have all of the life experience that I have now. – Amanda Peters Fiction readers are just better people because literature is about the human condition; it helps us develop empathy.  – Amanda Peters I love the writing process. I love creating a story. I love that high you get when you get it just right, when a sentence does exactly what I want it to do. – Amanda Peters Resources Mentioned in This Episode: The Berry Pickers: A Novel by Amanda Peters - https://amzn.to/4hAYfUM Waiting for the Long Night Moon: Stories by Amanda Peters - https://amzn.to/4hGNTTw John Steinbeck books - https://amzn.to/4c1B1pJ John Steinbeck Center - https://steinbeck.org/ Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction - https://www.ala.org/carnegie-medals/2024-winners Pearly Everlasting: A Novel by Tammy Armstrong - https://amzn.to/420or5r All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks - https://amzn.to/420oT3D What Strange Paradise: A novel by Omar El Akkad - https://amzn.to/4kXs8l6 Guest's Links: Website - https://amandapetersauthor.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amandapetersauthor/ Twitter - https://x.com/amandapetersaut?lang=en Connect with Jen! Jen's Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen's Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen's Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen's Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist and writer Omar El Akkad has won acclaim for his novels “American War” and “What Strange Paradise,” and he's now published his first non-fiction book which takes a searing look at the war in Gaza. “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This,” is a rebuke of Western institutions including governments, universities, and the media for failing to denounce Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. El Akkad, born in Egypt, examines the political systems, beliefs, and prejudices that he says Americans have used to shield themselves from confronting atrocities. Guests: Omar El Akkad, journalist and author, His latest book is, "One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This." He is also author of the novels, "American War" and "What Strange Paradise." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vancouver Public Library has banned staff from wearing symbols of solidarity with Palestine. Many patrons of the library see this as an assault on the VPL's core values of freedom of expression and intellectual freedom. Last week, Concerned Patrons of VPL held an event to protest the ban, and to draw attention to its hypocritical and discriminatory nature. One of the speakers at their event was Omar El Akkad, a guest VPL author who famously tweeted “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”. We speak with Tamer Aburamadan, a Palestinian community member and part of Concerned Patrons of VPL.

The legal battle over the Trump administration's gutting of USAID began this week with a federal judge ruling against DOGE-initiated cuts. Though Elon Musk insists "no one has died as a result" of DOGE's actions, the reality on the ground is already painting a very different picture. Health workers in the developing world have said people are already dying from the cutoff. And a new study by the Center for Global Development says millions more could die within a year. International Rescue Committee chief David Miliband joins the show to discuss.  Also on today's show: Omar El Akkad, author, “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”; Carrie Besnette Hauser, President and CEO, Trust for Public Land  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Summary For Women’s History Month, we speak with Cassidy Randall about her book Thirty Below, which tells the gripping true story of the first all-women's ascent of Denali in 1970. Facing extreme sexism, brutal conditions, and life-threatening storms, this pioneering team of climbers defied expectations and set a precedent for future generations of women … Continue reading Breaking Barriers on Denali: Cassidy Randall on THIRTY BELOW & Omar El Akkad on Empire, Liberalism & Bearing Witness →

As Netanyahu Renews His War On Gaza, We Challenge the Comfort Zone of What is Happening in Distant Lands | As Musk and Trump Tear Through the Fabric of American Society, the Days of Choosing Between Gutless Liberals and Callous Conservatives are Over | What Kind of Opposition Will Emerge at This Critical Moment For the Survival of American Democracy? backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

On October 25th, 2023, after weeks of Israeli bombardment on Gaza, Canadian novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad posted this on X:"One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this."Israel had declared war on Hamas after the Oct 7 attack. On top of the bombardment, there was a full siege in place – civilians in Gaza were cut off from water, electricity, and food. As Omar witnessed the destruction from afar, he kept track of how the war was being framed and talked about by Western media and governments. He spoke to host Jayme Poisson about how his frustration with all of that prompted, in part, his latest book: "One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This".For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

This week, we're joined by author and journalist Omar El Akkad to discuss his new book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, which serves as a powerful reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. Omar shares how writing nonfiction compares to his novels, how he anticipates and thinks about potential criticism, and what it means to resist despair in the face of empire.The Stacks Book Club pick for March is They Were Her Property by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers. We will discuss the book on March 26th with Tembe Denton-Hurst returning as our guest.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://thestackspodcast.com/2025/3/12/ep-362-omar-el-akkadConnect with Omar: Instagram | TwitterConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSUPPORT THE STACKSJoin The Stacks Pack on PatreonTo support The Stacks and find out more from this week's sponsors, click here.Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Acclaimed novelist Omar El Akkad grew up in Qatar, yearning for uncensored magazines and Hollywood movies, and believing in the Western project. But after moving to Canada as a teen, and a journalistic career covering the U.S. response to 9/11, El Akkad started seeing cracks in his conception of the West. Then, watching the response to the Israel-Hamas war changed everything for him. El Akkad speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay about taking stock of those fissures with his new book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.

Phil Vine reviews One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad published by Text Publishing.

Award-winning author Omar El Akkad joins “This Is Hell!” to talk about his new book, "One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”, published by the Penguin Books. Check out Omar's book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485/one-day-everyone-will-have-always-been-against-this-by-omar-el-akkad/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9NZpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRHlIY5dAk3hrnB8dk0wOc9P_cL3vOlRO6pa78Ux07cr9tv4PR_GhwkMrg_aem_ltRUIYUqFxKHG-AUz9rHsg Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast or visiting thisishell.com/pages/support

On today's show: we learn about a school in Calgary that's embracing the vast world of artificial intelligence; we connect with two local liberals to get their thoughts on Mark Carney's big win; we hear from visiting WordFest author, Omar El Akkad, on his recently released collection of essays: "One Day, Everyone Will Have Been Against This."

Omar El Akkad questions if the U.S. is forsaking its core values, after covering wars around the globe & social unrest as a journalist for 20 years. He's interviewed by author and University of Oxford Modern Middle Eastern History professor Eugene Rogan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Omar El Akkad questions if the U.S. is forsaking its core values, after covering wars around the globe & social unrest as a journalist for 20 years. He's interviewed by author and University of Oxford Modern Middle Eastern History professor Eugene Rogan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Tonda McCharles, Toluse "Tolu" Olorunnipa and Megan Janetsky about how the trade war is playing out across North America, bestselling author Joseph Finder explains the history of spy thrillers and how they connect to the current geopolitical climate, we take stock of five years since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared with Dr. Zain Chagla, Helen Branswell and Dr. Peter Singer, and novelist Omar El Akkad talks about his "breakup" with the West and his new book One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Omar El Akkad's new new book One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This offers a searing indictment of the complicit liberalism and hypocrisy of the West and asks the question: how will we remember the war in Gaza?He swung by JOETowers to chat to Oli about his work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist, novelist, and memoirist Omar El Akkad talks about his latest book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This – a blend of memoir, social criticism, and moral philosophy. The book creates and shares space for everyone who is full of grief and rage, who cannot be at home in institutions that support or ignore genocide. We discuss the linguistic obfuscations around Gaza, El Akkad's critique of Western liberalism, and the possibilities for a different future.Show notes:You can get One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This from Penguin Random House, where a sample of the audiobook is available, read by Omar El Akkad.Omar's first novel, American War, is also available from Penguin Random.You can subscribe to BULAQ wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @bulaqbooks and Instagram @bulaq.books for news and updates. If you'd like to rate or review us, we'd appreciate that. If you'd like to support us as a listener by making a donation you can do so at https://donorbox.org/support-bulaq. BULAQ is co-produced with the podcast platform Sowt. Go to sowt.com to check out their many other excellent shows in Arabic, on music, literature, media and more. For all things related to Arabic literature in translation you should visit ArabLit.org, where you can also subscribe to the Arab Lit Quarterly. If you are interested in advertising on BULAQ or sponsoring episodes, please contact us at bulaq@sowt.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The journalist and award-winning author Omar El Akkad joins Nihal for an in-depth conversation.They discuss his new book 'One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' and much more.Nihal Arthanayake presents his Sunday evening show and podcast, featuring exclusive in-depth interviews with headline guests across entertainment, sport, culture and politics.

Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by the award-winning writer and journalist, Omar El Akkad.Omar is a journalist and novelist whose work masterfully blurs the lines between fiction and reality, forcing us to confront the most urgent issues of our time. His debut novel, American War, was a haunting and unflinching look at climate change, war, and displacement. His second novel, What Strange Paradise, won the Giller Prize and offered a deeply human perspective on the refugee crisis. And now, with his latest book, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, he turns his attention to the genocide in Gaza, power, identity, and the way history remembers—or erases—those who resist.In this conversation, we talk about the stories behind his stories—the historical and political forces that shape his work, the deeply personal nature of writing about conflict and displacement at the time it's happening, and how writing can help us make sense of an increasingly fractured world. We also explore themes of belonging, compassion, and what it means to be on the margins of history.Support the show

In this episode on Speaking Out of Place podcast Professor David Palumbo-Liu talks with Omar El Akkad about his new book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. The title of the book comes from a tweet he posted three weeks after the bombardment of Gaza began. Since then, the tweet has been viewed more than 10 million times. Horrified at what has transpired since that moment, Omar El Akkad wrote this full-throated indictment of the “principal concern” of the modern American liberal. It is “not what one does or believes or supports or opposes, but what one is seen to be.” Moving from the scale of the individual to that of entire industries and political parties, they talk about the terrible consequences of this attitude with regard to Palestine, and beyond.Omar El Akkad is an author and journalist. He was born in Egypt, grew up in Qatar, moved to Canada as a teenager, and now lives in the United States. He is a two-time winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award and the Oregon Book Award for fiction. His books have been translated into thirteen languages. His debut novel, American War, was named by the BBC as one of one hundred novels that shaped our world.www.palumbo-liu.comhttps://speakingoutofplace.comBluesky @palumboliu.bsky.socialInstagram @speaking_out_of_place

When Donald Trump shared an AI video of Gaza, the world responded as it often does to Trump's behaviour, with a mixture of disbelief, shock, resignation and laughter. “Gaza 2025…What's next,” read the caption before delivering a vision of what's next. "Donald's coming to set you free,” the video's song's declared, “bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear: Trump Gaza's finally here.” There were no more Gazans either in the video as Trump relaxed on a lounger sipping cocktails beside Benjamin Netanyahu. Because it is Trump, the world also laughs, something we continue to do even as his gangster fascism extends from Ukraine to the Middle East.On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the truth behind these videos, the erasure of the people of Gaza. Joe talks about Omar El Akkad's stunning new book 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' which details the complicity and silence of the west. In that context, knowing what we know, what are we doing when we laugh at Trump's video?Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comAward-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad has just released his first non-fiction book titled One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. The book follows his previous fiction novel, American War, which was named by the BBC as one of 100 novels that shaped our world.The book's title, inspired by a viral tweet Akkad posted in October of 2023, gives you a good hint that the main theme is the genocide in Gaza. Akkad joins ‘Mehdi Unfiltered' to discuss the many themes in his book, what inspired it, and why so many are silent when they shouldn't be.“I think there's a lot of people who have become very well versed in looking away and keeping their head down and then checking every once in a while, to see what the prevailing opinion is,” he tells Mehdi. Indeed, the silence from so many on the suffering of Palestinians is deafening, but it isn't new, nor is it exclusive to Palestinians, as he explores in his powerful new book.“It is very difficult to find somebody who was on board with apartheid in South Africa. Everyone's against it, in hindsight. That avenue has always been available.” The more time passes, the more it seems everyone was on the right side of history. But in Gaza's case - the first live-streamed genocide - Mehdi asks Akkad if looking away is the same as it used to be.“I think operating under the systems of power that we have generally, relies in large extent on looking away, and this was much, much more difficult to look away from,” Akkad says.You can click here to buy a copy of Akkad's latest book ‘One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' and also, do share your review with us in the comments below! If you are a paid subscriber, you can watch the full interview above to hear what Akkad considers as the “most instructive form of failure” in the media's coverage of the genocide in Gaza.Free subscribers can watch a 10-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber today to watch the full interview.

Today on Speaking Out of Place I talk with Omar El Akkad about his new book, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. The title of the book comes from a tweet he posted three weeks after the bombardment of Gaza began. Since then, the tweet has been viewed more than 10 million times. Horrified at what has transpired since that moment, Omar El Akkad wrote this full-throated indictment of the “principal concern” of the modern American liberal. It is “not what one does or believes or supports or opposes, but what one is seen to be.” Moving from the scale of the individual to that of entire industries and political parties, we talk about the terrible consequences of this attitude with regard to Palestine, and beyond.OMAR EL AKKAD is an author and journalist. He was born in Egypt, grew up in Qatar, moved to Canada as a teenager, and now lives in the United States. He is a two-time winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award and the Oregon Book Award for fiction. His books have been translated into thirteen languages. His debut novel, American War, was named by the BBC as one of one hundred novels that shaped our world.

Today, we're bringing you an exclusive recording of Omar El Akkad in conversation with Alex Clark at our recent #OffThePage event at the Pepper Canister Church on February 13, 2025.

In late October 2023, weeks into Israel's bombing of northern Gaza, the novelist Omar El Akkad retweeted a video taken by a Gazan man. This video showed a lifeless moonscape with endless empty streets of rubble, every building, one to the next, a hollow blown-out shell of itself. No people, no animals, the only sound […] The post Omar El Akkad : One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This appeared first on Tin House.

It appears the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has been brought back from the brink as Hamas now says they will now release Israeli hostages as planned on Saturday after Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump threatened the militant group.  But for award-winning author Omar El Akkad, the war in Gaza has already been a turning point for his relationship with the West - the part of the world that took him in as a child refugee. He says the faith he had in the cultural and political values he believed underpinned the West has been totally shattered by its response to the Israel-Gaza war. In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to him about his new book ‘One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' and asks if he has any hope for the future. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Max Velody.  

Send us a textOn this episode we meet novelist Omar El Akkad to discuss One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. Published by Canongate (27.02 - UK) it is a powerful meditation on what it means to live in the heart of an empire, an indictment of Western complicity in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians and an exploration of the hypocrisies on which we build our lives.Drawing from Omar's own journalistic experience reporting on years of the ‘War on Terror,' and the migration of his childhood, this book chronicles a painful realisation of all that keeps power in place. It is a searing critique of Western government and media, a demand to pause and bear witness and a refusal of an assembly line approach to injusticeAt a time when so many are struggling to find voice at the state of the world, it is that most important thing - a coherent articulation of rage. But, as the title suggests, Omar's is an argument, that despite deep uncertainty, asks us to consider a future too.‘Each generation looks back in judgement, and sometimes in horror, at the moral blind spots of earlier generations and previous ages. To get a glimpse of how we in the early 21st century might one day be judged for our passivity and hypocrisy, I urge you to read Omar El Akkad's astonishing book.'David Olusoga‘I can't think of a more important piece of writing to read right now. Doom and gloom and unspeakable horror abound and overwhelm these days, but it remains important to understand what we already know is happening now and how it will be understood in the future. It helps when we feel helpless to give our time and attention, our hearts and consideration to a voice like this, a book like this, from our particular time and for it.'Tommy Orange@fieldzine www.fieldzine.comwww.patreon.com/fieldzine

This episode features Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with Omar El Akkad from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in October 2024.

Novelist Madeline Miller speaks about Greek myths and how she approaches her retellings in this 2021 talk and interview with Omar El Akkad.

Send us a Text Message.What happens when war disrupts the creative minds of writers? In this episode, I conversed with Franco-Moroccan-American writer Jordan Elgrably, editor-in-chief of The Markaz Review, where we delved into the intersection of literature and conflict. Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:Middle Eastern writers' anthology: We explore Jordan's latest anthology, Stories from the Center of the World, which showcases the diverse voices of Middle Eastern writers navigating the complexities of the current geopolitical landscape. Arab American Authors in Focus: We highlight the remarkable journey of Omar El-Akkad and other Arab American authors, examining how trauma and resilience shape their narratives.The Editorial Eye: Jordan shares insider tips for aspiring writers, revealing what it takes to make literary submissions stand out in an evolving publishing landscape that's increasingly embracing diverse voices.Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that celebrates the resilience of creativity in the face of adversity and the promise of more stories to come.Support the Show.****************************************************************************➡️ P.S: If you find my content useful, you might want to check out my Substack newsletter, in which I talk and vent about the writing life:

No matter the genre, when you read a book with a map, you're in for an adventure. This month, we share a YA historical fiction meets fantasy novel; a mystery set in 1920s Bangalore; and a dystopian novel set during a future American Civil War.Don't forget to turn in your bingo sheets for the Winter-Spring 2024 Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge by June 30, 2024! If you still need book suggestions, check out the book lists on our Books & Bites page. Jacqueline's PickDivine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is book one of the YA Letters of Enchantment series. After centuries of sleep, two ancient gods are warring again, using human armies in this fantasy set during World War I. Pairing: Simple Plum Pudding, a World War I-era recipe.Carrie's PickSet in colonial Bangalore, India, in 1921, The Bangalore Detectives Club is the first book in a mystery series by Harini Nagendra. If you like your mysteries on the cozy side and enjoy learning a little history and culture while you're at it, this might be the book for you.Pairing: Lemon rice, the perfect South Indian dish for a picnic. Michael's PickAmerican War by Omar El Akkad takes place over two decades, beginning in 2075, during the outset of the second U.S. Civil War. Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia have seceded from the United States after vehemently opposing the Sustainable Future Act that outlawed oil production. Pairing: Mississippi Mud Pie, a delicious Southern dessert that will take the edge off this sobering book.

Jordan Elgrably in conversation with Sarah AlKahly-Mills, with readings from both authors. City Lights celebrates the publication of "Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction," edited by Jordan Elgrably, published by City Lights Books. You can purchase copies directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/stories-from-the-center-of-the-world/ "Stories from the Center of the World" gathers new writing from 25 emerging and established writers of Middle Eastern and North African origins, offering a unique collection of voices and viewpoints that illuminate life in the global Arab/Muslim world. The authors included in the book come from a wide range of cultures and countries, including Palestine, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco. In “Asha and Haaji,” Hanif Kureishi takes up the cause of outsiders who become uprooted when war or disaster strikes and they flee for safe haven. In Nektaria Anastasiadou‘s “The Location of the Soul According to Benyamin Alhadeff,” two students in Istanbul from different classes — and religions that have often been at odds with one another — believe they can overcome all obstacles. MK Harb‘s story, “Counter Strike,” is about queer love among Beiruti adolescents; and Salar Abdoh‘s “The Long Walk of the Martyrs” invites us into the world of former militants, fighters who fought ISIS or Daesh in Iraq and Syria, who are having a hard time readjusting to civilian life. In “Eleazar,” Karim Kattan tells an unexpected Palestinian story in which the usual antagonists — Israeli occupation forces — are mostly absent, while another malevolent force seems to overtake an unsuspecting family. Omar El Akkad‘s “The Icarist” is a coming-of-age story about the underworld in which illegal immigrants are forced to live, and what happens when one dares to break away. Contributors include: Salar Abdoh, Leila Aboulela, Farah Ahamed, Omar El Akkad, Sarah AlKahly-Mills, Nektaria Anastasiadou, Amany Kamal Eldin, Jordan Elgrably, Omar Foda, May Haddad, Danial Haghighi, Malu Halasa, MK Harb, Alireza Iranmehr, Karim Kattan, Hanif Kureishi, Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi, Diary Marif, Tariq Mehmood, Sahar Mustafah, Mohammed Al-Naas, Ahmed Naji, Mai Al-Nakib, Abdellah Taia, and Natasha Tynes. Jordan Elgrably is a Franco-American and Moroccan writer and translator, whose stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in numerous anthologies and reviews, including Apulée, Salmagundi, and The Paris Review. Editor-in-chief and founder of The Markaz Review, he is the cofounder and former director of the Levantine Cultural Center/The Markaz in Los Angeles (2001-2020), and producer of the stand-up comedy show “The Sultans of Satire” (2005-2017) and hundreds of other public programs. He is based in Montpellier, France and California. Sarah AlKahly-Mills is a Lebanese-American writer. Her story “The Salamander” is included in the new book "Stories from the Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction," edited by Jordan Elgrably, and just published by City Lights. Her fiction, poetry, book reviews, and essays have appeared in publications including Litro Magazine, Ink and Oil, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Michigan Quarterly Review, PopMatters, Al-Fanar Media, Middle East Eye, and various university journals. Born in Burbank, CA, she now lives in Rome, Italy. Originally hosted live in City Lights' Poetry Room on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Hosted by Peter Maravelis. Made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation cosponsored with Golden Thread Productions. citylights.com/foundation

Omar El Akkad joins critic Min Hyoung Song for a gripping conversation that interrogates fiction's relationship to the real. Before he became a novelist, Omar was a journalist, and his experiencing reporting on (among other subjects) the war on terror, the Arab Spring, and the Black Lives Matter movement profoundly shapes his fiction. His first novel, American War (Vintage, 2018), follows the protagonist's radicalization against the backdrop of afossil fuel-motivated civil war. His second, What Strange Paradise (Vintage, 2022), is a haunting retelling of Peter Pan focused on a young Syrian refugee. But as Omar and Min's dialogue reveals, literary criticism doesn't always get the politics of political fiction right. Their conversation moves from the preoccupation with “literal prophecy” which plagues the reception of speculative fiction in general and climate fiction in particular to the multifaceted appeal of the fantastical in writing migration stories. They discuss Omar's interest not in extrapolation, but in inversion. And they take up the imaginative challenges posed by climate change: the way it fails to fit zero-sum colonial ideologies; the way it relies upon the continued development of “the muscle of forgetting, the muscle of looking away.” Finally, Omar's answer to the signature question is a case study in the inversion that characterizes his work: Little Women readers, prepare yourselves! Mentioned in This Episode Paolo Bacigalupi Kim Stanley Robinson Barbara Kingsolver Jenny Offill Richard Powers, The Overstory Amitav Ghosh, The Great Derangement Barack Obama, “A New Beginning: Remarks by the President at Cairo University, 6-04-09” Stephen Markley, The Deluge Alan Kurdi (photographed by Nilüfer Demir) Mohsin Hamid, Exit West Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Omar El Akkad joins critic Min Hyoung Song for a gripping conversation that interrogates fiction's relationship to the real. Before he became a novelist, Omar was a journalist, and his experiencing reporting on (among other subjects) the war on terror, the Arab Spring, and the Black Lives Matter movement profoundly shapes his fiction. His first novel, American War (Vintage, 2018), follows the protagonist's radicalization against the backdrop of afossil fuel-motivated civil war. His second, What Strange Paradise (Vintage, 2022), is a haunting retelling of Peter Pan focused on a young Syrian refugee. But as Omar and Min's dialogue reveals, literary criticism doesn't always get the politics of political fiction right. Their conversation moves from the preoccupation with “literal prophecy” which plagues the reception of speculative fiction in general and climate fiction in particular to the multifaceted appeal of the fantastical in writing migration stories. They discuss Omar's interest not in extrapolation, but in inversion. And they take up the imaginative challenges posed by climate change: the way it fails to fit zero-sum colonial ideologies; the way it relies upon the continued development of “the muscle of forgetting, the muscle of looking away.” Finally, Omar's answer to the signature question is a case study in the inversion that characterizes his work: Little Women readers, prepare yourselves! Mentioned in This Episode Paolo Bacigalupi Kim Stanley Robinson Barbara Kingsolver Jenny Offill Richard Powers, The Overstory Amitav Ghosh, The Great Derangement Barack Obama, “A New Beginning: Remarks by the President at Cairo University, 6-04-09” Stephen Markley, The Deluge Alan Kurdi (photographed by Nilüfer Demir) Mohsin Hamid, Exit West Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Omar El Akkad joins critic Min Hyoung Song for a gripping conversation that interrogates fiction's relationship to the real. Before he became a novelist, Omar was a journalist, and his experiencing reporting on (among other subjects) the war on terror, the Arab Spring, and the Black Lives Matter movement profoundly shapes his fiction. His first novel, American War (Vintage, 2018), follows the protagonist's radicalization against the backdrop of afossil fuel-motivated civil war. His second, What Strange Paradise (Vintage, 2022), is a haunting retelling of Peter Pan focused on a young Syrian refugee. But as Omar and Min's dialogue reveals, literary criticism doesn't always get the politics of political fiction right. Their conversation moves from the preoccupation with “literal prophecy” which plagues the reception of speculative fiction in general and climate fiction in particular to the multifaceted appeal of the fantastical in writing migration stories. They discuss Omar's interest not in extrapolation, but in inversion. And they take up the imaginative challenges posed by climate change: the way it fails to fit zero-sum colonial ideologies; the way it relies upon the continued development of “the muscle of forgetting, the muscle of looking away.” Finally, Omar's answer to the signature question is a case study in the inversion that characterizes his work: Little Women readers, prepare yourselves! Mentioned in This Episode Paolo Bacigalupi Kim Stanley Robinson Barbara Kingsolver Jenny Offill Richard Powers, The Overstory Amitav Ghosh, The Great Derangement Barack Obama, “A New Beginning: Remarks by the President at Cairo University, 6-04-09” Stephen Markley, The Deluge Alan Kurdi (photographed by Nilüfer Demir) Mohsin Hamid, Exit West Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Welcome to Episode 206 where we have a fantastic conversation with Rebecca Rego Barry, author of THE VANISHING OF CAROLYN WELLS: Investigations into a Forgotten Mystery Author. One reviewer referred to Barry's book as a “process biography.” It is true, Barry takes you along on her investigation into the life of Carolyn Wells who, it turns out, wrote more than mysteries. She wrote poetry, plays, screenplays, puzzles, children's books, and a YA series. Wells was also a serious book collector in a time when that pursuit was considered the domain of men. With Mother's Day just around the corner, this biography would make a great gift. Along with our friend Kate, we did a buddy read of Carson McCullers' novella, REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE. This was part of our Biblio Adventure to Nyack, NY where McCuller's lived for the last 30 years of her life (which wasn't a very long long life: she died at 50, so she actually lived most of her life in Nyack). We explored the grounds of her home (it is not a public author home at this time) and paid our respects at the Oak Hill Cemetery where Carson is buried next to her mother. We visited Big Red Books, a Little Free Library, Pickwick Books, and the gorgeous Nyack Public Library. (Check out our social media for some pics.) We also recap our Biblio Adventure to NYC which was metamorphosed by an earthquake in New Jersey that was felt throughout the Northeast. As always, we talk about what we've read, are reading, and want to read. Highlights include PIGLET by Lottie Hazell, THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood (out 5/7), MOBY DICK by Herman Melville, HOW TO READ by Monica Wood (out 5/7), SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY by Edgar Lee Masters, BLESS YOUR HEART by Lindy Ryan, THE EDITOR: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin (out 5/28), and two short stories: “Touchless Bidet” by Omar El Akkad from the collection SMALL ODYSSEYS: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories edited by Hannah Tinti and “A Simple Question” from the collection OLD CRIMES: And Other Stories by Jill McCorkle. If you've been enjoying our podcast, please share it with a friend and consider leaving a review on iTunes or whatever app you use to listen. Thanks for listening, and Happy Reading! Chris & Emily

Novelist and critic Lydia Kiesling joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss the creation and the spirit of year-end book lists. She talks about list culture getting its start at the small, online literary magazine, The Millions, and its eventual spread to seemingly every media outlet. The three grapple with the significance of inclusion on these lists, whether they really sell more books, and the ethics of their construction. Kiesling reads from her new novel, Mobility. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Lydia Kiesling: The Golden State Mobility Others: Books We Love | NPR A Year in Reading: 2023 | The Millions 100 Notable Books of 2023 | New York Times ​​The 10 Best Books Through Time | New York Times A Year in Reading: 2023 | The Millions “Crime,” by Marilyn Stasio, August 19, 2001| New York Times  “‘Terrorist' – to Whom? V.V. Ganeshananthan's novel ‘Brotherless Night' reveals the moral nuances of violence, ever belied by black-an-white terminology” by Omar El Akkad, Jan. 1, 2023 | New York Times Molly Stern The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan Blink by Malcolm Gladwell The Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald  The Stand by Stephen King A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley  The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver  Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Ali & Nino by Kurban Said The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway 1984 by George Orwell Pod Save America (podcast) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poet, editor, and writer John Freeman and novelist Omar El Akkad join co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to talk about the final issue of Freeman's, a literary magazine founded in 2015. El Akkad, a contributor to the volume, describes founding editor Freeman's intense and uniquely broad interest in literature, as well as his unusual ability to curate collections of pieces that are in conversation with one another. Freeman explains the work and support that made the magazine possible, and reflects on the moment when he decided to pursue it, as well as how he decided to conclude it. They discuss the publication as a project that created a valuable network of literary connections and gave many writers a new context and outlet for their work. El Akkad reads from “Pillory,” his story which appears in the final edition of Freeman's, and talks about how he came to write it. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. John Freeman Freeman's Wind, Trees Maps How to Read a Novelist Dictionary of the Undoing Omar El Akkad “Pillory”, by Omar El Akkad American War What Strange Paradise Others: Freeman's Conclusions | Vancouver Writers Fest Freeman's Conclusions - The Nest - Vancouver - Oct 20, 2023 · Showpass Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 3, Episode 22: “The Unpopular Tale of Populism: Thomas Frank on the Real History of an American Mass Movement” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 3, Episode 17: “Poetry, Prose, and the Climate Crisis: John Freeman and Tahmima Anam on Public Space and Global Inequality” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1, Episode 5: “Is College Education a Right or a Privilege?” featuring John Freeman and Sarah Smarsh Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 2, Episode 17: “Emily Raboteau and Omar El Akkad Tell a Different Kind of Climate Change Story” Denis Johnson Barry Lopez Wendy Chen Li Qingzhao Li Po Debra Gwartney Michael Salu Colson Whitehead Jon Gray Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosted by international bestselling author and journalist Omar El Akkad, Without explores all of the things we can't imagine losing. In some cases, it's something we've already lost – species, natural phenomena, places. In other cases, it's things we should probably learn to live without, like fossil fuels or nuclear weapons. Every episode of WITHOUT is a thought experiment – what would the world look like if something we've become used to were no longer around? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by international bestselling author and journalist Omar El Akkad, Without explores all of the things we can't imagine losing. In some cases, it's something we've already lost – species, natural phenomena, places. In other cases, it's things we should probably learn to live without, like fossil fuels or nuclear weapons. Every episode of WITHOUT is a thought experiment – what would the world look like if something we've become used to were no longer around? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's 2074 and a suicide bomber has killed the President of the United States. Months later Marines open fire on protesters killing dozens. The Second American Civil War has just begun and once again the North and South are pitted against each other. This is all according to the dystopian world chronicled in Omar El Akkad's novel, American War. El Akkad's imagined, yet familiar, world is reflective of today's deep political and societal fissures, but it also pushes us to understand the universal language of war and ruin, to what happens after the violence begins and why it's so hard to end.In this episode of Throughline, we immerse ourselves in El Akkad's 'what could be' to understand larger questions about history, humanity, and American exceptionalism.