The Diverse Bookshelf
Welcome to The Diverse Bookshelf. I’m Samia Aziz, celebrating the power of literature and the voices of authors and change makers from the global majority. Join me as we explore the stories that inspire, connect, and transform our world. Each week I interview an inspiring guest about a whole host of themes and issues while focusing on diverse literature.
Let’s uncover the stories that truly matter—together.
The Diverse Bookshelf
Omar El Akkad on Gaza, genocide, privilege, and historical amnesia
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.