One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

Watch Omar El Akkad discuss his searing work, 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' with host Tasneem Chopra.

Originally presented on Wednesday 22 October 2025 by The Wheeler Centre

Sparked by his viral tweet during the bombardment of Gaza – viewed over 10 million times – Omar El Akkad’s 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' lays bare the fractures he has seen in the West’s empty promises of freedom and justice.

In this timely session, the Egyptian-Canadian novelist and journalist reflects on how events like the Black Lives Matter protests, the escalating climate crisis and the violence in the Middle East have reshaped his understanding of migration, power and inequality and forced him to confront what it means to live in a West that has betrayed its fundamental values.

Praised by Richard Flanagan as ‘a howl from the heart of our age’, El Akkad’s book explores exactly how the West has failed and offers hope for a way forward.

🔔 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
   / @wheelercentre  

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞
The Wheeler Centre is where writers, storytellers, thinkers and readers connect through live events, insightful conversations and compelling stories in Melbourne.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞
Live and digital conversations, debates, readings, podcasts and discussions at The Wheeler Centre.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 👇

🔗 Website: https://www.wheelercentre.com
🔗 Instagram:   / wheelercentre  
🔗 Facebook:   / wheelercentre  
🔗Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wheelercentr...
🔗 LISTEN wherever you get your podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/TWCLISTEN

#WheelerCentre #WheelerCentreTalks #SmartConversations #InspiringTalks #LearnOnYouTube #YouTubeEducation #PublicTalks #Storytelling #books #writing #ideas