Author Omar El Akkad Offers Warning and Hope About The Future
Acclaimed authors Omar El Akkad and Kamila Shamsie engaged the Qatar public in a dialogue on human-made catastrophes and the art of storytelling at a special event at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), organized by the Program in Energy Humanities. The discussion explored how narratives emerging from catastrophic events, such as El Akkad’s post-apocalyptic novel American War–which details a world shattered by a poorly managed energy transition–can bridge perspectives and inspire change.
Dr. Victoria Googasian, co-coordinator of the Program in Energy Humanities, and Assistant Professor of American Literature, introduced the author, highlighting how El Akkad’s novels challenge comforting narratives of progress. “His work is a warning about what happens when we fail to question our preferences for ‘pleasant fantasy,’” she said. She went on to tie the book to the initiative, which aims to illuminate the human costs of energy systems and the political will sustaining them, to foster deeper understanding and advocacy for change.
GU-Q Dean Safwan Masri welcomed El Akkad, emphasizing the importance of the event’s themes. Addressing students, he urged them to embrace the challenge presented by the authors to “think more deeply, care more profoundly, and act more responsibly.”
Moderated by GU-Q Writer-in-Residence Kamila Shamsie, the conversation delved into the role of authentic storytelling in reflecting the human condition. Shamsie, an award-winning author of eight books including Home Fire, drew on her literary expertise to guide the discussion.
El Akkad shared insights from his journalism career, which informed his fiction by capturing the lived experiences of those impacted by violence, catastrophes, and global systems contributing to war and climate collapse.
Speaking about the central theme of American War, El Akkad noted, “Climate change is about stubbornness, which I think of as fundamental to the human condition.” He described how this stubbornness often stems from avoiding the discomfort of confronting uncomfortable truths.
His forthcoming nonfiction book on Gaza, One Day Everyone Would Have Always Been Against This, also grapples with these themes. “I write overwhelmingly about systems that I think are inherently unjust, and about the collective cowardice, including my own cowardice, in holding up those systems” said El Akkad.
“You’re doing the optimistic thing about anguish and despair,” commented Shamsie, adding: “something in that seems to sum up the way we are as people and how we’re living–We hold this knowledge about what we’re doing and the horrific potential effects of it.”
In a time of skepticism about the value of literature and investigative reporting, the event underscored the power of evocative storytelling to reveal the consequences of our actions and influence individual and collective decisions.
El Akkad will continue contributing to GU-Q’s growing offerings in energy studies, teaching a one-credit course on Writing Energy Futures and offering writing workshops for the university community throughout the month.
About Omar El Akkad
Omar El Akkad, a Visiting Fellow at GU-Q, is an internationally renowned author and journalist. His decade-long reporting career covered major global events, including the war on terror, with postings in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and more. His fiction and non-fiction writing have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Guernica, and GQ. His debut novel, American War, was an international bestseller, and his second novel, What Strange Paradise, was named a best book of the year by The New York Times and The Washington Post. His forthcoming nonfiction book, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, explores themes of Western values and political conflict and is scheduled for release in February 2025.
About Kamila Shamsie
Kamila Shamsie, GU-Q’s Writer-in-Residence, is celebrated for her powerful novels, including Burnt Shadows, A God in Every Stone, and Home Fire—winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Her latest novel, Best of Friends, received the Karachi Literature Festival/Getz Fiction Award and a shortlist nomination for the Indie Book Awards. Translated into over thirty languages, Shamsie’s work reflects a global resonance and critical acclaim. During her time at GU-Q, Shamsie has been hosting the Qalam series with top writers with regional resonance, and leading masterclasses and writing sessions designed to inspire creativity within GU-Q and the wider community.