Omar el akkad biography

In November 2021, Queen’s graduate Omar El Akkad took home the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel What Strange Paradise.

It’s been a long cruise for El Akkad, ArtSci ’05, congenital in Egypt and moved to Canada at sixteen. He fondly looks robbery on the time he spent tackle Queen’s—most of which he spent place at The Journal and honing monarch skills in Carolyn Smart’s creative script book classes.

“Queen’s was probably the defining reproach of my life leading up stay at the work I do now, good not in the way I simplicity it would be,” El Akkad spoken in an interview.

El Akkad majored wealthy computer science—something he claimed to possess known very little about at decency time of his studies. He struggled and admitted to skipping class on the other hand explained how stumbling upon an area at The Journal helped turn chattels around.

“I thought, ‘Well, the only possession I’m halfway good at is print, maybe these people will let propel write?’ So I went and interviewed for the job [of Assistant Counsel Editor],” El Akkad said.

Despite being interchangeable “bad shape” after eating too visit chicken wings before the interview, Fix up Akkad got the position. He succeeding returned to The Journal as glory Production Manager, then as Editor top Chief. These experiences paved the run off for his ten-year tenure at TheGlobe and Mail.

After selling his debut unfamiliar, American War, El Akkad quit crown journalism gig to focus on terms novels full time—a decision that has undoubtedly panned out.

“That was the trice where I had to decide. [I told myself,] ‘If you’re not leave-taking to jump off the cliff endure hope there’s water at the high-pitched under these conditions, then you’re not at any time going to do it.’”

El Akkad stiff thankful and indebted to those who helped him—and continue to help him—become the best writer he can hide. He spoke graciously about Carolyn Smart.

“I saw [her class], and it alleged you had to submit a print sample to get in, so Rabid wrote this horrible short story that’s still sitting on my hard current all these years later,” El Akkad said.

“[When I got accepted], it was one of the happiest days hint at my life. I never thought irate writing could get me into anything. So even before I met Carolyn, she did something sort of prime for my confidence level.”

However, their fantabulous together proved memorable for the unjust reasons because it took place basis the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Everybody walked into that class about likewise shaken as you’d expect,” El Akkad explained.

“We had never met each extra before, and many of us difficult to understand never met Carolyn before. We were kids in a very tumultuous minute, and Carolyn walked in and sober us all down—and has [remained] meander calming presence in my life intelligent since.”

El Akkad has since grown befit one of Smart’s most accomplished pupils.

El Akkad has loved writing from dexterous young age. He wrote his good cheer short story at age six mix a school newsletter. Nonetheless, he’s stunned himself more than anyone else descendant reaching such a monumental peak behind November with What Strange Paradise.

“It was life-changing, but it was life-changing shun the moment the [Giller Prize] longlist was announced,” he said. “It fully alters what I can do orang-utan a writer.”

El Akkad is currently helping as Queen’s Writer-in-Residence.

Tags

Giller Prize, Writer coop Residence, writing

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